Historical records suggest that the petrels of Round Island (near Mauritius, Indian Ocean) represent a recent, long-distance colonization by species originating from the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The majority of petrels on Round Island appear most similar to Pterodroma arminjoniana, a species whose only other breeding locality is Trindade Island in the South Atlantic. Using nine microsatellite loci, patterns of genetic differentiation in petrels from Round and Trindade Islands were analysed. The two populations exhibit low but significant levels of differentiation in allele frequencies and estimates of migration rate between islands using genetic data are also low, supporting the hypothesis that these populations have recently separated but are now isolated from one another. A second population of petrels, most similar in appearance to the Pacific species P. neglecta, is also present on Round Island and observations suggest that the two petrel species are hybridizing. Vocalizations recorded on the island also suggest that hybrid birds may be present within the population. Data from microsatellite genotypes support this hypothesis and indicate that there may have been many generations of hybridization and back-crossing between P. arminjoniana and P. neglecta on Round Island. Our results provide an insight into the processes of dispersal and the consequences of secondary contact in Procellariiformes. PMID:20618891

Pterodroma phaeopygia is a critically endangered avian species of the Galápagos Islands. This bird is sexually monomorphic, making it difficult to identify the sex. This information, however, is relevant to studies of behavior, ecology, and management of wild or captive populations. Here, we aimed to implement a molecular approach for determining sex in this petrel. DNA was extracted from the blood and the feathers of 24 adult P. phaeopygia, with samples from a female and a male Gallus gallus for comparison. We amplified the cromo-helicase DNA binding protein 1 (CHD-1) gene by PCR, using primers P2 and P8. Allele CHD-1W is unique to females and CHD-1Z occurs in both sexes. We then digested these PCR products using the restriction enzyme HaeIII. The PCR amplified a 400-bp product for both alleles. The digestion of the G. gallus, amplicons split the CHD-1Z allele into two fragments (of 320 and 80 bp), while CHD-1W remained intact. Thus, the male exhibited two bands (digested CHD- 1Z) and the female three bands (undigested CHD-1W and digested CHD-1Z). Applying this RFLP method on DNA derived from blood, 9 of the 24 petrels were found to be male, while 15 were females. The same results were obtained using feathers as the source of DNA. To our knowledge, this is the first report of molecular method for sexing this species. The potential of sexing this petrel from feathers is remarkable as it minimizes blood sampling induced stress. This method could be used to reinforce the conservation efforts for this bird, to investigate population sex ratios and to develop new conservation strategies. PMID:24222251

Introduced rodents are responsible for ecosystem changes in islands around the world. In the Galapagos archipelago, their effects on the native flora and fauna are adverse, including the extinction of endemic rodents in some islands and the reduction in the reproductive success of the Galapagospetrel (Pterodroma phaeopygia) in its nesting zones. Understanding the feeding behavior of introduced rodents and their trophic interactions with native and non-native species on islands, can assist in the design of management strategies and conservation plans of invasive and endemic species respectively. Four petrel nesting colonies were monitored during June 2013 on San Cristóbal Island (El Plátano, El Junco, San Joaquín, and La Comuna). The feeding habits of black rats were evaluated by analyzing stomach contents and stable isotopes in hair. Three species of introduced rodents were captured. R. rattus was the most abundant at all sites (n=43, capture success (CS) = 55.8%), followed by the house mouse, Mus musculus (n = 17, CS = 37.8%), and the Norwegian rat, R. norvegicus (n = 4, CS = 4.5%), captured only at La Comuna. The omnivorous black rat ate mostly plants (98%) and arthropods (2%). Intact seeds of Miconia robinsoniana were the main food at all sites (relative abundance=72.1%, present in 95% of the analyzed stomachs), showing the black rats' possible role in the archipelago as endemic seed dispersers. There was no evidence of petrel's intake; however, its possible consumption is not discarded at all. The δ15N and δ13C analysis corroborated the primarily herbivorous diet of black rats. The isotopic signatures of the three rodent species reflect the inter- and intra-specific differential use of food resources. Black rat showed a wider diet in La Comuna, which was related to a lower availability of its primary prey and its ability to adapt to the available resources in its habitat. PMID:25984724

Introduced rodents are responsible for ecosystem changes in islands around the world. In the Galapagos archipelago, their effects on the native flora and fauna are adverse, including the extinction of endemic rodents in some islands and the reduction in the reproductive success of the Galapagospetrel (Pterodroma phaeopygia) in its nesting zones. Understanding the feeding behavior of introduced rodents and their trophic interactions with native and non-native species on islands, can assist in the design of management strategies and conservation plans of invasive and endemic species respectively. Four petrel nesting colonies were monitored during June 2013 on San Cristóbal Island (El Plátano, El Junco, San Joaquín, and La Comuna). The feeding habits of black rats were evaluated by analyzing stomach contents and stable isotopes in hair. Three species of introduced rodents were captured. R. rattus was the most abundant at all sites (n=43, capture success (CS) = 55.8%), followed by the house mouse, Mus musculus (n = 17, CS = 37.8%), and the Norwegian rat, R. norvegicus (n = 4, CS = 4.5%), captured only at La Comuna. The omnivorous black rat ate mostly plants (98%) and arthropods (2%). Intact seeds of Miconia robinsoniana were the main food at all sites (relative abundance=72.1%, present in 95% of the analyzed stomachs), showing the black rats’ possible role in the archipelago as endemic seed dispersers. There was no evidence of petrel’s intake; however, its possible consumption is not discarded at all. The δ15N and δ13C analysis corroborated the primarily herbivorous diet of black rats. The isotopic signatures of the three rodent species reflect the inter- and intra-specific differential use of food resources. Black rat showed a wider diet in La Comuna, which was related to a lower availability of its primary prey and its ability to adapt to the available resources in its habitat. PMID:25984724

Seabirds are declining faster than any other group of birds, with plastic ingestion and associated contaminants linked to negative impacts on marine wildlife, including >170 seabird species. To provide quantitative data on the effects of plastic pollution, we sampled feathers and stomach contents from Laysan Albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis) and Bonin Petrel (Pterodroma hypoleuca) on Midway Atoll, North Pacific Ocean, and assessed our ability to detect change over time by synthesizing previous studies. Between 25 and 100% of fledglings exceed international targets for plastic ingestion by seabirds. High levels of ingested plastic were correlated with increased concentrations of chlorine, iron, lead, manganese, and rubidium in feathers. The frequency of plastic ingestion by Laysan Albatross and concentration of some elements in both species is increasing, suggesting deterioration in the health of the marine environment. Variability in the frequency of plastic ingestion by Laysan Albatross may limit their utility as an indicator species. PMID:27339745

A lone petrel was shot from the decks of an Italian warship (the 'Magenta') while it was sailing the South Pacific Ocean in 1867, far from land. The species, unknown to science, was named the 'Magenta petrel' (Procellariiformes, Procellariidae, Pterodroma magentae). No other specimens of this bird were collected and the species it represented remained a complete enigma for over 100 years. We compared DNA sequence of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene from the Magenta petrel to that of other petrels using phylogenetic methods and ancient DNA techniques. Our results strongly suggest that the Magenta petrel specimen is a Chatham Island taiko. Furthermore, given the collection location of the Magenta petrel, our finding indicates that the Chatham Island taiko forages far into the Pacific Ocean (near South America). This has implications for the conservation of the taiko, one of the world's rarest seabirds. PMID:21564674

Often during the process of divergence, genetic markers will only gradually obtain the signal of isolation. Studies of recently diverged taxa utilizing both mitochondrial and nuclear data sets may therefore yield gene trees with differing levels of phylogenetic signal as a result of differences in coalescence times. However, several factors can lead to this same pattern, and it is important to distinguish between them to gain a better understanding of the process of divergence and the factors driving it. Here, we employ three nuclear intron loci in addition to the mitochondrial Cytochrome b gene to investigate the magnitude and timing of divergence between two endangered and nearly indistinguishable petrel taxa: the Galapagos (GAPE) and Hawaiian (HAPE) petrels (Pterodroma phaeopygia and P. sandwichensis). Phylogenetic analyses indicated reciprocal monophyly between these two taxa for the mitochondrial data set, but trees derived from the nuclear introns were unresolved. Coalescent analyses revealed effectively no migration between GAPE and HAPE over the last 100,000 generations and that they diverged relatively recently, approximately 550,000 years ago, coincident with a time of intense ecological change in both the Galapagos and Hawaiian archipelagoes. This indicates that recent divergence and incomplete lineage sorting are causing the difference in the strength of the phylogenetic signal of each data set, instead of insufficient variability or ongoing male-biased dispersal. Further coalescent analyses show that gene flow is low even between islands within each archipelago suggesting that divergence may be continuing at a local scale. Accurately identifying recently isolated taxa is becoming increasingly important as many clearly recognizable species are already threatened by extinction. PMID:21324012

The conservation status and taxonomy of the three gadfly petrels that breed in Macaronesia is still discussed partly due to the scarce information on their spatial ecology. Using geolocator and capture-mark-recapture data, we examined phenology, natal philopatry and breeding-site fidelity, year-round distribution, habitat usage and at-sea activity of the three closely-related gadfly petrels that breed in Macaronesia: Zino’s petrelPterodroma madeira, Desertas petrel P. deserta and Cape Verde petrel P. feae. All P. feae remained around the breeding area during their non-breeding season, whereas P. madeira and P. deserta dispersed far from their colony, migrating either to the Cape Verde region, further south to equatorial waters in the central Atlantic, or to the Brazil Current. The three taxa displayed a clear allochrony in timing of breeding. Habitat modelling and at-sea activity patterns highlighted similar environmental preferences and foraging behaviours of the three taxa. Finally, no chick or adult was recaptured away from its natal site and survival estimates were relatively high at all study sites, indicating strong philopatry and breeding-site fidelity for the three taxa. The combination of high philopatry, marked breeding asynchrony and substantial spatio-temporal segregation of their year-round distribution suggest very limited gene flow among the three taxa. PMID:27001141

The conservation status and taxonomy of the three gadfly petrels that breed in Macaronesia is still discussed partly due to the scarce information on their spatial ecology. Using geolocator and capture-mark-recapture data, we examined phenology, natal philopatry and breeding-site fidelity, year-round distribution, habitat usage and at-sea activity of the three closely-related gadfly petrels that breed in Macaronesia: Zino’s petrelPterodroma madeira, Desertas petrel P. deserta and Cape Verde petrel P. feae. All P. feae remained around the breeding area during their non-breeding season, whereas P. madeira and P. deserta dispersed far from their colony, migrating either to the Cape Verde region, further south to equatorial waters in the central Atlantic, or to the Brazil Current. The three taxa displayed a clear allochrony in timing of breeding. Habitat modelling and at-sea activity patterns highlighted similar environmental preferences and foraging behaviours of the three taxa. Finally, no chick or adult was recaptured away from its natal site and survival estimates were relatively high at all study sites, indicating strong philopatry and breeding-site fidelity for the three taxa. The combination of high philopatry, marked breeding asynchrony and substantial spatio-temporal segregation of their year-round distribution suggest very limited gene flow among the three taxa.

The conservation status and taxonomy of the three gadfly petrels that breed in Macaronesia is still discussed partly due to the scarce information on their spatial ecology. Using geolocator and capture-mark-recapture data, we examined phenology, natal philopatry and breeding-site fidelity, year-round distribution, habitat usage and at-sea activity of the three closely-related gadfly petrels that breed in Macaronesia: Zino's petrelPterodroma madeira, Desertas petrel P. deserta and Cape Verde petrel P. feae. All P. feae remained around the breeding area during their non-breeding season, whereas P. madeira and P. deserta dispersed far from their colony, migrating either to the Cape Verde region, further south to equatorial waters in the central Atlantic, or to the Brazil Current. The three taxa displayed a clear allochrony in timing of breeding. Habitat modelling and at-sea activity patterns highlighted similar environmental preferences and foraging behaviours of the three taxa. Finally, no chick or adult was recaptured away from its natal site and survival estimates were relatively high at all study sites, indicating strong philopatry and breeding-site fidelity for the three taxa. The combination of high philopatry, marked breeding asynchrony and substantial spatio-temporal segregation of their year-round distribution suggest very limited gene flow among the three taxa. PMID:27001141

Uses a problem-based teaching approach to teach about the geological origins of the Galapagos Islands, colonization, species formation, and threats to biodiversity. Discusses finches, tortoises, and sea cucumbers and provides instructions for student discussions. (YDS)

Our findings are in accord with the recent decision by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to evaluate the need for additional protection of the species and the primary foraging habitat off the southeastern United States under the Endangered Species Act (USFWS 2012). Additional conservation measures and research strategies that warrant further consideration include (1) protection, monitoring, and management of known breeding populations and nesting habitat in the Dominican Republic and Haiti through controlling predators, installing artificial nest burrows in appropriate sites and hiring local wardens at breeding sites during the nesting season; (2) local and regional training, education and public awareness (e.g. Blanchard & Nettleship 1992); (3) restoration of the original common name Diablotin to common usage to promote the historical and cultural importance of this species; (4) studies to determine the distribution and genetic variability in the remaining populations; and (5) studies of satellite-tagged birds to assess their seasonal and geographic use of pelagic habitats.

This true-color image of the Galapagos Islands was acquired on March 12, 2002, by the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), flying aboard NASA's Terra satellite. The Galapagos Islands, which are part of Ecuador, sit in the Pacific Ocean about 1000 km (620 miles) west of South America. As the three craters on the largest island (Isabela Island) suggest, the archipelago was created by volcanic eruptions, which took place millions of years ago. Unlike most remote islands in the Pacific, the Galapagos have gone relatively untouched by humans over the past few millennia. As a result, many unique species have continued to thrive on the islands. Over 95 percent of the islands' reptile species and nearly three quarters of its land bird species cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Two of the more well known are the Galapagos giant tortoise and marine iguanas. The unhindered evolutionary development of the islands' species inspired Charles Darwin to begin The Origin of Species eight years after his visit there. To preserve the unique wildlife on the islands, the Ecuadorian government made the entire archipelago a national park in 1959. Each year roughly 60,000 tourists visit these islands to experience what Darwin did over a century and a half ago. Image courtesy Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC

Macaronesia (north-east Atlantic archipelagos) has been host to complex patterns of colonization and differentiation in many groups of organisms including seabirds such as gadfly petrels (genus Pterodroma). Considering the subspecies of widely distributed soft-plumaged petrel for many years, the taxonomic status of the three gadfly petrel taxa breeding in Macaronesia is not yet settled, some authors advocating the presence of three, two or one species. These birds have already been the subject of genetic studies with only one mtDNA gene and relatively modest sample sizes. In this study, using a total of five genes (two mitochondrial genes and three nuclear introns), we investigated the population and phylogeographical histories of petrel populations breeding on Madeira and Cape Verde archipelagos. Despite confirming complete lineage sorting with mtDNA, analyses with nucDNA failed to reveal any population structuring and Isolation with Migration analysis revealed the absence of gene flow during the differentiation process of these populations. It appears that the three populations diverged in the late Pleistocene in the last 150 000 years, that is 10 times more recently than previous estimates based solely on one mtDNA gene. Finally, our results suggest that the Madeira petrel population is ancestral rather than that from Cape Verde. This study strongly advocates the use of nuclear loci in addition to mtDNA in demographical and phylogeographical history studies. PMID:23171163

The black-capped petrel Pterodroma hasitata is an endangered seabird with fewer than 2000 breeding pairs restricted to a few breeding sites in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. To date, use areas at sea have been determined entirely from vessel-based surveys and opportunistic sightings and, as such, spatial and temporal gaps in our understanding of the species’ marine range are likely. To enhance our understanding of marine use areas, we deployed satellite tags on 3 black-capped petrels breeding on Hispaniola, representing the first tracking study for this species and one of the first published tracking studies for any breeding seabird in the Caribbean. During chick rearing, petrels primarily used marine habitats in the southern Caribbean Sea (ca. 18.0° to 11.5°N, 70.0° to 75.5°W) between the breeding site and the coasts of Venezuela and Colombia. Maximum distance from the breeding sites ranged from ca. 500 to 1500 km during the chick-rearing period. During the post-breeding period, each bird dispersed north and used waters west of the Gulf Stream offshore of the mid- and southern Atlantic coasts of the USA as well as Gulf Stream waters and deeper pelagic waters east of the Gulf Stream. Maximum distance from the breeding sites ranged from ca. 2000 to 2200 km among birds during the nonbreeding period. Petrels used waters located within 14 different exclusive economic zones, suggesting that international collaboration will benefit the development of management strategies for this species.

Human contact with cats, dogs, and other pets results in several million infections each year in the United States, ranging from self-limited skin conditions to life-threatening systemic illnesses. Toxoplasmosis is one of the most common pet-related parasitic infections. Although toxoplasmosis is usually asymptomatic or mild, it may cause serious congenital infection if a woman is exposed during pregnancy, particularly in the first trimester. Common pet-borne fungal infections include tinea corporis/capitis (ringworm); campylobacteriosis and salmonellosis are among the most common bacterial infections associated with pet ownership. Less commonly, pets can transmit arthropod-borne and viral illnesses (e.g., scabies, rabies). Infection in a pet can provide sentinel warning of local vectors and endemic conditions, such as Lyme disease risk. Treatment is infection-specific, although many infections are self-limited. Prevention involves common sense measures such as adequate hand washing, proper disposal of animal waste, and ensuring that infected animals are diagnosed and treated. Special precautions are indicated for immunocompromised persons. Increased communication between primary care physicians and veterinarians could improve treatment and prevention of these conditions. PMID:18019874

Seabirds play vital roles in their ecosystems, both as predators in their oceanic foraging grounds and conduits of marine nutrients to island nesting sites. Despite growing evidence that food availability limits seabird populations, characterization of the diet and even foraging locations of some seabird species remains elusive. Here, we use stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotopes to study the foraging ecology of an endangered and poorly known seabird, the Hawaiian petrel (Pterodroma sandwichensis). This species nests solely on the main Hawaiian Islands but forages widely across the NE Pacific, sometimes traveling over 10,000km on single foraging trips. δ13C and δ15N values vary with trophic level and at the base of food webs throughout the marine range of the Hawaiian petrel. Thus, we are able to use isotope signatures in modern and ancient petrel tissues to track spatial and temporal variation in foraging location and diet. We find strong evidence of foraging segregation between populations, with hatch-year birds from the island of Hawaii exhibiting feather δ15N and δ13C values over 3‰ and 1 ‰ higher, respectively, than those found in Maui and Kauai hatch-year birds. There is also significant variation in δ15N values between feathers from Kauai, Hawaii, and Maui adults, indicating additional foraging segregation during the winter molt. To distinguish between the effects of trophic level and foraging location, we relate our data to those from seabirds with known diet and foraging location, as well as to previous characterizations of isoscapes in the NE Pacific and at-sea observations of our study species. Finally, we track Hawaiian petrel foraging ecology back in time through examination of stable isotope values in historical feathers and ancient bone collagen. We find that, despite a species-wide decline in δ15N values (consistent with trophic level decline), populations have maintained divergent isotopic niches through at least the past 1

We examine global phylogeography of the two forms of giant petrel Macronectes spp. Although previously considered to be a single taxon, and despite debate over the status of some populations and the existence of minimal genetic data (one mitochondrial cytochrome b sequence per form), the current consensus based on morphology is that there are two species, Northern Giant Petrel M. halli and Southern Giant Petrel M. giganteus. This study examined genetic variation at cytochrome b as well as six microsatellite loci in giant petrels from 22 islands, representing most island groups at which the two species breed. Both markers support separate species status, although sequence divergence in cytochrome b was only 0.42% (corrected). Divergence was estimated to have occurred approximately 0.2mya, but with some colonies apparently separated for longer (up to 0.5 my). Three clades were found within giant petrels, which separated approximately 0.7mya, with the Southern Giant Petrel paraphyletic to a monophyletic Northern Giant Petrel. There was evidence of past fragmentation during the Pleistocene, with subsequent secondary contact within Southern Giant Petrels. The analysis also suggested a period of past population expansion that corresponded roughly to the timing of speciation and the separation of an ancestral giant petrel population from the fulmar Fulmarus clade. PMID:19755164

The JASON Curriculum Project materials are designed to prepare teachers and students for an exploration around the Galapagos Islands via satellite transmission of live images and sound. This curriculum package contains five units, 25 lesson plans, and over 50 activities, along with teacher background material, student worksheets and readings, a…

It is important to consider both the temporal and spatial dimensions of variability in ecology and evolution. Given the potentially great dispersal capabilities and long generation times of pelagic seabirds, genetic diversity in these species seems likely to be homogeneously distributed and relatively static over time. Investigating temporal and spatial processes involved in the ecology and evolution of seabird populations is important to island ecosystem sustainability, as they play a significant role in transferring marine derived nutrients to terrestrial oceanic ecosystems. Additionally, many seabird species are threatened by extinction due to increasing mortality both at land and at sea. Here we investigate population divergence of the endemic and endangered Hawaiian petrel (Pterodroma sandwichensis). We examined four extant colonies on the islands of Hawaii, Maui, Lanai and Kauai, and employed ancient DNA techniques to study a prehistorically extirpated colony on Oahu, and a historically large, but likely extirpated, colony on the island of Molokai. Analyses of sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene as well as nuclear microsatellite markers indicate substantial differentiation (global Φst of 0.38, p < 0.0001). Significant divergence was found among each pair of the six islands except between Oahu and Molokai (Φst = 0.10, p = 0.07). However, this could result from low power due to the limited availability of amplifiable samples, especially for the hot, low elevation colony formerly present on Oahu. The largest differentiation occurred between the islands of Lanai and Kauai (Φst = 0.58, p < 0.0001). These results suggest that despite their great dispersal capabilities, spatially proximate colonies of the Hawaiian petrel are not genetically homogenous. Additionally, the extirpation of large colonies, such as those on Oahu and Molokai, could result in loss of a substantial amount of genetic diversity. Future work should further investigate temporal

In the Hawaiian Islands, human colonization, which began approximately 1,200 to 800 years ago, marks the beginning of a period in which nearly 75% of the endemic avifauna became extinct and the population size and range of many additional species declined. It remains unclear why some species persisted whereas others did not. The endemic Hawaiian petrel (Pterodroma sandwichensis) has escaped extinction, but colonies on two islands have been extirpated and populations on remaining islands have contracted. We obtained mitochondrial DNA sequences from 100 subfossil bones, 28 museum specimens, and 289 modern samples to investigate patterns of gene flow and temporal changes in the genetic diversity of this endangered species over the last 3,000 years, as Polynesians and then Europeans colonized the Hawaiian Islands. Genetic differentiation was found to be high between both modern and ancient petrel populations. However, gene flow was substantial between the extirpated colonies on Oahu and Molokai and modern birds from the island of Lanai. No significant reductions in genetic diversity occurred over this period, despite fears in the mid-1900s that this species may have been extinct. Simulations show that even a decline to a stable effective population size of 100 individuals would result in the loss of only 5% of the expected heterozygosity. Simulations also show that high levels of genetic diversity may be retained due to the long generation time of this species. Such decoupling between population size and genetic diversity in long-lived species can have important conservation implications. It appears that a pattern of dispersal from declining colonies, in addition to long generation time, may have allowed the Hawaiian petrel to escape a severe genetic bottleneck, and the associated extinction vortex, and persist despite a large population decline after human colonization. PMID:22844071

We report a new bathymetry survey of the Galapagos microplate (GMP), which separates the Pacific, Nazca, and Cocos plates at the Galapagos Triple Junction. Prior to the formation of the microplate, 1.5-1.0 Ma, there was a succession of transient minor rifts forming triple junctions north and south of the propagating Cocos-Nazca rift (see Schouten et al. abstract). As proposed by Lonsdale (1988) the formation of a large near-axis seamount coincided with the initiation of the GMP and stabilized rifting on its southern boundary, now called Dietz Deep Rift. Lonsdale also proposed that the GMP was rotating clockwise at 6 degrees/my. Schouten et al. (1993) and Klein et al. (2005) applied an edge-driven microplate model to the GMP to understand its kinematics and predicted rotation rates of 30-40 degrees/my and 22 degrees/my, respectively. These interpretations and predictions were based on sparse bathymetry data. In early 2009 (AT 15-41), we mapped the Galapagos microplate in its entirety to understand more fully the conditions that led to the stabilization of the southern triple junction at Dietz Deep Rift and to constrain the rotation rate of the microplate. Our new data show the two highly contrasted sections of Dietz Deep Rift. The northeastern section contains Dietz Deep, a 2 km deep basin, within a fault-dominated rift valley about 20 km wide; subsidiary rifts occur to the south. Sidescan data indicate that extension in this broadly rifted area has been largely amagmatic. The southwestern section of Dietz Deep Rift is dominated by a variety of volcanic constructions in which faulting plays a minor part. The volcanism has resulted in two large seamounts and a number of volcanic ridges running parallel to the fault dominated rift valley. The largest volcanic ridge is steep-sided and straight, and extends to intersect the East Pacific Rise (EPR) at 1 10’N to form the triple junction. Other minor volcanic ridges occur in the SW section of the microplate fanning

The evolutionary mechanisms underlying the geographic distribution of gene lineages in the marine environment are not as well understood as those affecting terrestrial groups. The continuous nature of the pelagic marine environment may limit opportunities for divergence to occur and lineages to spatially segregate, particularly in highly mobile species. Here, we studied the phylogeography and historical demography of two tropically distributed, pelagic seabirds, the Madeiran Storm-petrel Oceanodroma castro, sampled in the Azores, Madeira, Galapagos and Japan, and its sister species Monteiro's Storm-petrel O. monteiroi (endemic to the Azores), using a multi-locus dataset consisting of 12 anonymous nuclear loci and the mitochondrial locus control region. Both marker types support the existence of four significantly differentiated genetic clusters, including the sampled O. monteiroi population and three populations within O. castro, although only the mitochondrial locus suggests complete lineage sorting. Multi-locus coalescent analyses suggest that most divergence events occurred within the last 200,000years. The proximity in divergence times precluded robust inferences of the species tree, in particular of the evolutionary relationships of the Pacific populations. Despite the great potential for dispersal, divergence among populations apparently proceeded in the absence of gene flow, emphasizing the effect of non-physical barriers, such as those driven by the paleo-oceanographical environments, philopatry and local adaptation, as important mechanisms of population divergence and speciation in highly mobile marine species. In view of the predicted climate change impacts, future changes in the demography and evolutionary dynamics of marine populations might be expected. PMID:26921843

The genus Procellaria traditionally consists of four species, two restricted to New Zealand and two widespread in the Southern Ocean. All four are threatened because of incidental mortality on longlines and other fishing gear. The White-chinned Petrel P. aequinoctialis is the seabird killed in largest numbers by fisheries in the Southern Ocean. A spectacled form recently has been elevated to species status, Spectacled Petrel P. conspicillata, based on differences in morphometrics, vocalisations and breeding phenology. Cytochrome b sequences support species status for the Spectacled Petrel and show that the White-chinned Petrel has two regional populations, one around New Zealand and one throughout the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans. White-chinned and Spectacled Petrels segregated approximately 0.90 million years ago by allopatric fragmentation, and the two populations within White-chinned Petrels diverged approximately 0.35 million years ago. Climate changes and corresponding changes in ocean currents are most likely responsible for these patterns. PMID:19364537

Galapagos Hawks (Buteo galapagoensis), the only endemic, diurnal raptor species in Galapagos, are currently distributed on eight Galapagos Islands having been extirpated from three of the human-inhabited islands. In January 2009, we performed health assessments of 89 Galapagos Hawks on Santiago Island, Galapagos. Four of the 89 Galapagos Hawks (4%) evaluated had physical abnormalities. Blood parameters did not differ between males and females, except for aspartate transaminase values, which were significantly higher in females than males. No Galapagos Hawks tested positive for antibodies to avian encephalitis virus, Marek virus, and paramyxovirus-1 or to haemosporidian antigen. Chlamydophila psittaci antigen was detected in 2 of 86 Galapagos Hawks (2%), with 24 of 43 Galapagos Hawks (56%) antibody-positive for avian adenovirus-1 and 1 of 48 Galapagos Hawks (2%) antibody positive for Toxoplasma gondii. There were no significant differences in infectious disease results based on sex. This study contributes to the understanding of the health status of the Galapagos Hawk and to the establishment of baseline information for the species. PMID:22247372

In the 1960s, Betsy Bang unraveled the complexity of the olfactory apparatus of procellariiform seabirds (petrels and albatrosses), suggesting an important role for olfaction in their ecology. Shortly thereafter, Prof. B. Wenzel continued the investigations on petrels' well-developed olfactory neuroanatomy as well as their sensitivity to food-related scents. Later studies demonstrated further that the sense of smell is also critical to these birds when homing to their burrow. Building on these findings, we have demonstrated in several petrel species the importance of the burrow olfactory signature in homing. The nature of this olfactory signature relies predominantly on their mate's odor. Indeed, in our Y-maze experiments, Antarctic prions (Pachyptila desolata) and blue petrels (Halobaena caerulea) could discriminate between their own and their mates' odors. However, although they are attracted by their mate odor, they prefer the odor of a conspecific bird to their own. These results have drawn attention to the possible use of chemical signals in birds' social behaviors, such as individual recognition and/or mate choice. Indeed, petrel life history traits suggest that olfactory-mediated mate choice may have evolved in this group to ensure genetic compatibility between mates. We have recently shown that a bird's semiochemical profile is more similar to itself, year after year, than to that of a conspecific. As a result, a novel function of olfaction emerges in petrels: the perception of a chemical signal that may broadcast individuals' identity and quality, thereby contributing to an optimal mate choice. PMID:19686171

This is an image showing part of Isla Isabella in the western Galapagos Islands. It was taken by the L-band radar in HH polarization from the Spaceborne Imaging Radar C/X-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar on the 40th orbit of the space shuttle Endeavour. The image is centered at about 0.5 degree south latitude and 91 degrees west longitude and covers an area of 75 by 60 kilometers (47 by 37 miles). The radar incidence angle at the center of the image is about 20 degrees.

The western Galapagos Islands, which lie about 1,200 kilometers (750 miles) west of Ecuador in the eastern Pacific, have six active volcanoes similar to the volcanoes found in Hawaii. Since the time of Charles Darwin's visit to the area in 1835, there have been over 60 recorded eruptions of these volcanoes. This SIR-C/X-SAR image of Alcedo and Sierra Negra volcanoes shows the rougher lava flows as bright features, while ash deposits and smooth pahoehoe lava flows appear dark. A small portion of Isla Fernandina is visible in the extreme upper left corner of the image.

The Galapagos Islands are one of the SIR-C/X-SAR supersites and data of this area will be taken several times during the flight to allow scientists to conduct topographic change studies and to search for different lava flow types, ash deposits and fault lines.

Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C and X-Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR-C/X-SAR) is part of NASA's Mission to Planet Earth. The radars illuminate Earth with microwaves allowing detailed observations at any time, regardless of weather or sunlight conditions. SIR-C/X-SAR uses three microwave wavelengths: L-band (24 cm), C-band (6 cm) and X-band (3 cm). The multi-frequency data will be used by the international scientific community to better understand the global environment and how it is changing. The SIR-C/X-SAR data, complemented by aircraft and ground studies, will give scientists clearer insights into those environmental changes which are caused by nature and those changes

This year is especially important in the history of the theory of evolution; 2009 is the bicentennial anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin and the sesquicentennial anniversary of his publication, The Origin of Species. Darwin visited the Galapagos Islands as a young man, which greatly influenced his thinking. My son Jim and I had the good fortune to visit these islands in January 2009 and see firsthand what led Darwin to arrive at his monumental insights into the origins of life on this planet. I have described my observations and related some of this experience to the ear, nose, and throat, albeit with whimsy in several instances. Nonetheless, some of the adaptations in the animals on these unique islands may have bearing on my hypotheses related to the incidence and pathogenesis of otitis media in humans. It is hoped the reader will share my enthusiasm for the experience we had on these fantastic islands and tour them in the future. PMID:19658158

... human settlements on this island. Several plant species are endangered due to decimation by goats and competition with ... are contributing to the endangered status of native plant species such as the endemic daisy tree and the Floreana flax. El ...

Galapagos Islands are well known for Darwin's epiphany about evolution after his 'discovery' of the islands. The incredible transformation that the key species on this island undergo on ENSO time-scales is recorded extensively. The impact of Galapagos on SSTs and ocean primary production has been conjectured but some recent work demonstrates that their influence extdends thousands of kilometers via stronger TIWs and modulations of the termination of EUC and related air-sea interactions. Tropical Pacific is not only the theater of action for ENSO dynamics but the ecosystem is the most studied iron limited region due to its HNLC characteristics. This study addresses the physical and biogeochemical impacts of the Galapagos islands with a OGCM-biogeochemical model coupled to a simple wind-anomaliy model. The impact of Galapagos is to warm the cold-tongue by upto 1C with a major impact on the termination of the EUC that results in large-scale circulation changes that extend to the South American coast as far south as 20S. If the islands are not included, then the equatorial Kelvin waves extend their impact on thermocline variability all the way to the eastern boundary and lead to a quasi-biennial ENSO whereas the impact of Galapagos islands shifts the frequency to a quasi- quadrennial time-scale. The impacts on the ecosystem are commensurate with the seasonal and interannual variability changes with the addition of dissolved iron supply related to EUC changes. Bio-physical feedbacks in the deep tropical Pacific also tend to warm SSTs and the impact of Galapagos is thus to flatten the east-west SST gradient resulting in less-frequent and weaker ENSO events. The relevance of these results to longer time-scale variability and any potential analogs to global warming and sea level change are discussed in detail.

A southern giant petrel (Macronectes giganteus) was found dead at Potter Peninsula, King George Island, South Shetland, Antarctica. The adult male was discovered approximately 48 hr after death. Macroscopic and microscopic lesions were compatible with avian cholera and the bacterium Pasteurella multocida subsp. gallicida, serotype A1 was isolated from lung, heart, liver, pericardial sac, and air sacs. In addition, Escherichia coli was isolated from pericardial sac and air sacs. This is the first known report of avian cholera in a southern giant petrel in Antarctica.

The Australian government during the past 11 years has been regularly releasing vacant areas on the Australian continental shelf for exploration. Although Australia's offshore basins cover an area of 12 million sq km, only about 1,100 exploration and development wells have been drilled, and most of the basins are underexplored by world standards. One of these areas is the Petrel sub-basin of the Bonaparte basin in water shallower than 100 m off Northwest Australia. The government recently released six areas in the southern offshore Petrel subbasin for petroleum exploration. The results of a study by the Petroleum Resources Branch of the bureau of Resource Sciences have been synthesized into a Petrel Sub-basin Bulletin, some selections of which are discussed in this article. Although there are over 44,000 km of seismic data recorded in the sub-basin, the quality of pre-1979 data is very poor to poor, and only 15,800 km of data recorded between 1980--94 (including 1,000 km of 3D seismic data over the Barnett structure) are of fair to good quality. The paper describes the regional geology, reservoir and seals, source rocks, and types of geologic traps. The study identified over 30 structures and leads in the offshore southern Petrel sub-basin. Significant opportunities exist for delineation and definition of drillable prospects in this promising Australian petroleum province.

...-day finding on May 12, 1981 (46 FR 26464), for 58 foreign species and initiated a status review. On January 20, 1984 (49 FR 2485), we published a 12-month finding within an annual review on pending... listing actions. On May 10, 1985, we published the first annual notice (50 FR 19761) in which we...

Stable isotope analysis of the endangered Hawaiian petrel's (Pterodroma sandwichensis, HAPE) feathers provides otherwise intractable information regarding non-breeding season foraging habits. Adult HAPE spend 3.5-6 months at sea during the non-breeding season, at which time they sequentially molt their flight feathers. Because feathers are metabolically inert once synthesized, they capture isotopic signals while they are grown, providing an opportunity to study foraging habits over time. Here we use stable hydrogen (δD), carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotopes to assess variation in foraging habits within and between individuals, and among four breeding colonies. δD is an indicator of prevalence of fish vs. invertebrates in the diet. In one analysis, we observed large variation in feather δD (125‰), with adults from Maui and Kauai having significantly higher δD values than corresponding hatch-year birds, indicating significant dietary differences between age groups. In a second analysis, we utilized δ13C and δ15N of Hawaii, Maui and Lanai adults, values which vary with trophic level and also at the base of the food web across HAPE's foraging range, potentially revealing information about feeding location, as well as diet. Furthermore, because the sequence of molt is known, we are able to determine whether individual foraging specialization (continued use of the same foraging behavior over time) exists in this species. To do this, we analyzed two primary feathers, P1 and P6, which reflect the beginning and the middle of the non-breeding season, respectively. We did not find significant differences in δ13C or δ15N between P1 and P6, suggesting consistent foraging habits within individuals over time. This provides evidence that individual foraging specialization exists within these populations. Analysis of a secondary feather grown late in the molt sequence would further illuminate the extent of foraging specialization. Finally, δ15N differs

Understanding how rapidly seabirds excrete or regurgitate ingested plastic items is important for their use as monitors of marine debris. van Franeker and Law (2015) inferred that fulmarine petrels excrete ∼75% of plastic particles within a month of ingestion based on decreases in the amounts of plastic in the stomachs of adult petrels moving to relatively clean environments to breed. However, similar decreases occur among resident species due to adults passing plastic loads to their chicks. The few direct measures of wear rates and retention times of persistent stomach contents suggest longer plastic residence times in most albatrosses and petrels. Residence time presumably varies with item size, type of plastic, the amount and composition of other persistent stomach contents, and the size at which items are excreted, which may vary among taxa. Accurate measures of ingested plastic retention times are needed to better understand temporal and spatial patterns in ingested plastic loads within marine organisms, especially if they are to be used as indicators of plastic pollution trends. PMID:26286902

This activity introduces students to the basic concept of seafloor spreading, the processes involved in creating new seafloor at a mid- ocean ridge, the Galapagos Spreading Center system, and the different types of plate motion associated with ridge segments and transform faults. The activity provides learning objectives, a list of needed…

The Galapagos Archipelago is one of the most important ecological spots in the planet due its unique biodiversity, active geology, and relatively well-preserved ecosystems. These characteristics are strongly based on the geographical isolation of the islands. On the one hand this isolation allowed the evolution processes that gave the islands their international fame and on the other hand it kept them from major human impacts that affected the vast majority of the Earth's surface. Galapagos' geographical isolation is therefore of mayor value, but it is rapidly diminishing due to the increase of marine and air transportation among islands and with the rest of the world. This increased accessibility implies enhanced risks for the ecological dynamics on the archipelago (e.g. increased risk of biological invasions, uncontrolled tourism growth, more water and energy consumption). Here, we introduce a general accessibility model to assess geographical isolation of the Galapagos Islands. The model aims to characterize accessibility in terms of human mobility by evaluating travel time to each point of the archipelago using all available transportation modalities. Using a multi criteria cost surface for marine and land areas, we estimated travel time for each surface unit using the fastest route and mode of transportation available while considering several friction factors such as surface type, slope, infrastructure, transfer points, legal restrictions, and physical barriers. We created maps to evaluate the isolation of different islands and places, highlighting the potential risks for several habitats and ecosystems. The model can be used for research and decision-making regarding island conservation, such as estimating spreading paths for invasive species, informing decisions on tourism management, and monitoring isolation changes of sensitive ecosystems.

Avian chemosignaling remains relatively unexplored, but its potential importance in birds' social behaviors is becoming recognized. Procellariiform seabirds provide particularly appropriate models for investigating these topics as they possess a well-developed olfactory system and unequalled associated capabilities. We present here results from a detailed chemical examination of the uropygial secretions (the main source of avian exogenous chemicals) from 2 petrel species, Antarctic prions and blue petrels. Using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry techniques and recently developed multivariate tools, we demonstrate that the secretions contain critical socioecological information such as species, gender, and individual identity. Importantly, these chemosignals correlate with some of the birds' olfactory behaviors demonstrated in the field. The molecules found to be associated with social information were essentially large unsaturated compounds, suggesting that these may be precursors of, or correlates to the actual airborne signals. Although the species-specific chemosignal may be involved in interspecific competition at the breeding grounds, the role of the sexually specific chemosignal remains unclear. The existence of individually specific signals (i.e., chemical signatures) in these birds has important implications for processes such as individual recognition and genetically based mate choice already suspected for this group. Our results open promising avenues of research for the study of avian chemical communication. PMID:20190009

This is an image showing part of Isla Isabela in the western Galapagos Islands. It was taken by the L-band radar in HH polarization from the Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-Band Synthetic Aperature Radar on the 40th orbit of the Shuttle Endeavour. The image is centered at about .5 degrees south latitude and 91 degrees West longitude and covers an area of 75 km by 60 km. The radar incidence angle at the center of the image is about 20 degrees. This SIR-C/X-SAR image of Alcedo and Sierra Negra volcanoes shows the rougher lava flows as bright features, while ash deposits and smooth Pahoehoe lava flows appear dark. A small portion of Isla Fernandina is visible in the extreme upper left corner of the image. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory alternative photo number is P-43899.

Isla San Cristobal, the most easterly of the Galapagos Islands, consists of two parts: a large volcano constitutes the southwest half of the island and an irregular apron of small cones and flows makes up the northeast half. As some of the younger flows on the flanks of the large volcano are reversely magnetized, the minimum age of the volcano is 0.7 my, which is the age of the Brunhes-Matuyama reversal boundary. The true age is probably several times greater. The cones and flows to the northeast are all normally magnetized. The between-site angular dispersion of virtual poles is 11.3?? - a value consistent with mathematical models for the latitude dependence of geomagnetic secular variation. ?? 1971.

Background: "Environmental education in the Galapagos: 2007 report to the Charles Darwin Foundation" is a report to the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) about the researchers observations about the status of environmental education in the Galapagos in 2006 and 2007. Purpose: This paper reports on environmental education in the Galapagos islands,…

Aircraft and ship surveys of the Galapagos Islands were conducted to address the hypothesized influence of "island-leached" iron upon phytoplankton production. This paper describes the airborne survey of the Galapagos Islands that composed the second phase of a two-part study of the influence of iron on phytoplankton production in high-nutrient/low-chlorophyll (HNLC) regions. A single bio-optics airborne survey transect along 92°W from 1°N to 2°S was executed on 25 October 1993 in order to provide initial reconnaissance spatial and temporal sampling of the oceanic region west of the Galapagos Islands. A more extensive airborne bio-optics survey of the entire Galapagos Islands region was conducted on 3 November 1993. This expanded flight survey was made along all the ship cruise tracks of the R.V. Columbus Iselin originally planned for 15-27 November 1993. Analysis of the surface-layer airborne laser-induced and water-Raman normalized chlorophyll, phycoerythrin, and chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) fluorescence, SST, and AXBT (airborne expendable bathythermograph) data suggest that: (1) the regional distribution of phytoplankton and dissolved organic matter is dominated by the strong east-west thermal boundary located both east and west of the Galapagos Islands; (2) the source for the elevated phytoplankton patches west of the Galapagos Islands is from upwelling rather than aeolian sources or from the westward drift of iron and nutrients leached from the islands themselves or offshore shallow bottom sources; (3) the introduction of subsurface water to the surface may occur in episodic events rather than as a steady-state process; and (4) the chronic high chlorophyll west of the Galapagos Islands noted in processed Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS) images may be due, at least in part, to the presence of elevated levels of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) absorption.

Commercial fisheries may impact marine ecosystems and affect populations of predators like seabirds. In the Southern Ocean, there is an extensive fishery for Antarctic krill Euphausia superba that is projected to increase further. Comparing distribution and prey selection of fishing operations versus predators is needed to predict fishery-related impacts on krill-dependent predators. In this context, it is important to consider not only predators breeding near the fishing grounds but also the ones breeding far away and that disperse during the non-breeding season where they may interact with fisheries. In this study, we first quantified the overlap between the distribution of the Antarctic krill fisheries and the distribution of a krill dependent seabird, the Antarctic petrel Thalassoica antarctica, during both the breeding and non-breeding season. We tracked birds from the world biggest Antarctic petrel colony (Svarthamaren, Dronning Maud Land), located >1000 km from the main fishing areas, during three consecutive seasons. The overall spatial overlap between krill fisheries and Antarctic petrels was limited but varied greatly among and within years, and was high in some periods during the non-breeding season. In a second step, we described the length frequency distribution of Antarctic krill consumed by Antarctic petrels, and compared this with results from fisheries, as well as from diet studies in other krill predators. Krill taken by Antarctic petrels did not differ in size from that taken by trawls or from krill taken by most Antarctic krill predators. Selectivity for specific Antarctic krill stages seems generally low in Antarctic predators. Overall, our results show that competition between Antarctic petrels and krill fisheries is currently likely negligible. However, if krill fisheries are to increase in the future, competition with the Antarctic petrel may occur, even with birds breeding thousands of kilometers away. PMID:27533327

Commercial fisheries may impact marine ecosystems and affect populations of predators like seabirds. In the Southern Ocean, there is an extensive fishery for Antarctic krill Euphausia superba that is projected to increase further. Comparing distribution and prey selection of fishing operations versus predators is needed to predict fishery-related impacts on krill-dependent predators. In this context, it is important to consider not only predators breeding near the fishing grounds but also the ones breeding far away and that disperse during the non-breeding season where they may interact with fisheries. In this study, we first quantified the overlap between the distribution of the Antarctic krill fisheries and the distribution of a krill dependent seabird, the Antarctic petrel Thalassoica antarctica, during both the breeding and non-breeding season. We tracked birds from the world biggest Antarctic petrel colony (Svarthamaren, Dronning Maud Land), located >1000 km from the main fishing areas, during three consecutive seasons. The overall spatial overlap between krill fisheries and Antarctic petrels was limited but varied greatly among and within years, and was high in some periods during the non-breeding season. In a second step, we described the length frequency distribution of Antarctic krill consumed by Antarctic petrels, and compared this with results from fisheries, as well as from diet studies in other krill predators. Krill taken by Antarctic petrels did not differ in size from that taken by trawls or from krill taken by most Antarctic krill predators. Selectivity for specific Antarctic krill stages seems generally low in Antarctic predators. Overall, our results show that competition between Antarctic petrels and krill fisheries is currently likely negligible. However, if krill fisheries are to increase in the future, competition with the Antarctic petrel may occur, even with birds breeding thousands of kilometers away. PMID:27533327

Toxoplasma gondii is one of the most common protozoan parasites of humans and warm-blooded animals. Members of the family Felidae are the only definitive hosts of this parasite and, thus, important in the epidemiology of the disease. Previous studies on Pacific islands have found T. gondii infections in a number of avian species where domestic cats (Felis catus) have been introduced. Little is known about T. gondii in the Galapagos Islands, although introduced domestic cats in the archipelago are known to be T. gondii antibody-positive. In this study, we quantified prevalence of antibody to T. gondii in two threatened avian marine species, Galapagos Penguins (Spheniscus mendiculus) and Flightless Cormorants (Phalacrocorax harrisi), and tested the hypothesis that this parasite is more prevalent on Isabela Island (with cats) than on Fernandina Island (without cats). Overall, antibody prevalence was 2.3% in both Galapagos Penguins and Flightless Cormorants from samples collected during 2003-2005, and in 2008. In Galapagos Penguins (n=298), a significantly higher antibody prevalence was found in penguins on Fernandina Island (free of cats) than on Isabela Island (with cats; Fisher's exact test; P=0.02). In Flightless Cormorants (n=258), there was a higher antibody prevalence in cormorants living on Isabela than on Fernandina, although this difference was not statistically significant (Fisher's; P=0.19). This study is the first to show exposure to T. gondii in endemic avian species in the Galapagos Islands, providing evidence for disease-related risks associated with the feral cat population in the archipelago. We provide possible explanations for these findings and recommendations for future studies towards a better understanding of the epidemiology of T. gondii in the Galapagos Islands. PMID:20688714

Leach's storm-petrels accumulate large amounts of body mass throughout the nestling period. Approximately 4days before fledging, nestlings weigh 50-100% more than adults. In order to shed this excess mass, nestlings engage in behavioral anorexia, and leave the burrow when they are light enough to fly. During this prefledging period, we measured several plasma hormones (corticosterone, thyroxine, and testosterone) to determine whether the behavioral changes associated with fledging are correlated with endocrine changes. In several species, including petrels, corticosterone levels are known to increase near fledging. Reduced food consumption has been shown to elevate corticosterone levels and decrease thyroxine levels in nestling birds. In nestling storm-petrels, levels of both corticosterone and thyroxine increased. Storm-petrels were found to secrete measurable levels of testosterone, but levels did not change during the prefledging period. Increased corticosterone levels might be part of an endocrine signal that initiates changes in feeding behavior, or may result from reduced food intake. Elevated thyroxine levels may be related to metabolic changes involved in mass loss. Future experimental work is needed to ascertain whether the described endocrine changes are responsible for, or result from, prefledging changes in petrel feeding behavior. PMID:20688060

There is no place on Earth like the Galapagos Islands and no better destination to discuss the reality of evolution. Under the theme ‘Why Does Evolution Matter’, the University San Francisco of Quito (USFQ), Ecuador, and its Galapagos Institute for the Arts and Sciences (GAIAS), organized the III World Evolution Summit in San Cristóbal Island. The 200-attendee meeting took place on 1 to 5 June 2013; it included 12 keynote speakers, 20 oral presentations by international scholars, and 31 posters by faculty, postdocs, and graduate and undergraduate students. The Summit encompassed five sessions: evolution and society, pre-cellular evolution and the RNA world, behavior and environment, genome, and microbes and diseases. USFQ and GAIAS launched officially the Lynn Margulis Center for Evolutionary Biology and showcased the Galapagos Science Center, in San Cristóbal, an impressive research facility conceptualized in partnership with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA. USFQ and GAIAS excelled at managing the conference with exceptional vision and at highlighting the relevance of Galapagos in the history of modern evolutionary thinking; Charles Darwin’s visit to this volcanic archipelago in 1835 unfolded unprecedented scientific interest in what today is a matchless World Heritage. PMID:26925190

In the Galapagos Islands, where 97% of the territory is protected and ecosystem dynamics are highly vulnerable, timely and accurate information is key for decision making. An appropriate monitoring system must meet two key features: on one hand, being able to capture information in a systematic and regular basis, and on the other hand, to quickly gather information on demand for specific purposes. The lack of such a system for geographic information limits the ability of Galapagos Islands' institutions to evaluate and act upon environmental threats such as invasive species spread and vegetation degradation. In this context, the use of UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) for capturing georeferenced images is a promising technology for environmental monitoring and management. This paper explores the potential of UAV images for monitoring degradation of littoral vegetation in Puerto Villamil (Isabela Island, Galapagos, Ecuador). Imagery was captured using two camera types: Red Green Blue (RGB) and Infrarred Red Green (NIR). First, vegetation presence was identified through NDVI. Second, object-based classification was carried out for characterization of vegetation vigor. Results demonstrates the feasibility of UAV technology for base-line studies and monitoring on the amount and vigorousness of littoral vegetation in the Galapagos Islands. It is also showed that UAV images are not only useful for visual interpretation and object delineation, but also to timely produce useful thematic information for environmental management.

The author visited the Galapagos Islands in 2009 and here looks at their biodiversity through pictures taken then. The diverse habitats of the Islands are reflected in the great diversity of flora and fauna found on them, with many species endemic to the Islands. The stories of the land iguanas, control of introduced species and the giant…

In the Galapagos Islands, where 97% of the territory is protected and ecosystem dynamics are highly vulnerable, timely and accurate information is key for decision making. An appropriate monitoring system must meet two key features: on one hand, being able to capture information in a systematic and regular basis, and on the other hand, to quickly gather information on demand for specific purposes. The lack of such a system for geographic information limits the ability of Galapagos Islands' institutions to evaluate and act upon environmental threats such as invasive species spread and vegetation degradation. In this context, the use of UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) for capturing georeferenced images is a promising technology for environmental monitoring and management. This paper explores the potential of UAV images for monitoring degradation of littoral vegetation in Puerto Villamil (Isabela Island, Galapagos, Ecuador). Imagery was captured using two camera types: Red Green Blue (RGB) and Infrarred Red Green (NIR). First, vegetation presence was identified through NDVI. Second, object-based classification was carried out for characterization of vegetation vigor. Results demonstrates the feasibility of UAV technology for base-line studies and monitoring on the amount and vigorousness of littoral vegetation in the Galapagos Islands. It is also showed that UAV images are not only useful for visual interpretation and object delineation, but also to timely produce useful thematic information for environmental management.

Dense animal populations surrounding recently discovered hydrothermal vents at the Galapagos Rift sea-floor spreading center, 2550 meters deep, are probably sustained by microbial primary production. Energy in the form of geothermically reduced sulfur compounds emitted from the vents is liberated during oxidation and used for the reduction of carbon dioxide to organic matter by chemosynthetic bacteria.

Animal movement is a fundamental eco-evolutionary process yet the behaviour of juvenile animals is largely unknown for many species, especially for soaring seabirds which can range widely over the oceans at low cost. We present an unprecedented dataset of 98 juvenile albatrosses and petrels (nine species), tracked for the first three months after independence. There was a startling diversity within and among species in the type and scale of post-natal movement strategies, ranging from area-restricted to nomadic patterns. Spatial scales were clustered in three groups that ranged from <3000 km to >6000 km from the natal nest. In seven of the nine species, the orientation of flight paths and other movement statistics showed strong similarities between juveniles and adults, providing evidence for innate orientation abilities. Our results have implications for understanding the development of foraging behaviour in naïve individuals and the evolution of life history traits such as survival, lifespan and breeding strategy. PMID:27189182

Animal movement is a fundamental eco-evolutionary process yet the behaviour of juvenile animals is largely unknown for many species, especially for soaring seabirds which can range widely over the oceans at low cost. We present an unprecedented dataset of 98 juvenile albatrosses and petrels (nine species), tracked for the first three months after independence. There was a startling diversity within and among species in the type and scale of post-natal movement strategies, ranging from area-restricted to nomadic patterns. Spatial scales were clustered in three groups that ranged from <3000 km to >6000 km from the natal nest. In seven of the nine species, the orientation of flight paths and other movement statistics showed strong similarities between juveniles and adults, providing evidence for innate orientation abilities. Our results have implications for understanding the development of foraging behaviour in naïve individuals and the evolution of life history traits such as survival, lifespan and breeding strategy. PMID:27189182

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) have been gaining much visibility in environmental chemical studies due to their similarity to PCBs and growing reports of harmful effects. The fact that these contaminants have not yet undergone bans or restrictions on the global level underscores the need for data on their occurrence. In the present study, fat samples from 26 White-chinned Petrels (Procellaria aequinoctialis) and 3 Spectacled Petrels (P. conspicillata) collected dead ashore or as bycatch of longline fisheries in southern Brazil were analyzed to determine concentrations of seven congeners (IUPAC #28, 47, 99, 100, 153, 154 and 183). Concentrations of ΣPBDEs ranged from not detectable to 72.70 ng g(-1) (wet weight), comparatively lower than concentrations reported for seabird samples in northern hemisphere. The most detected congeners were 153, 154 and 183. This pattern is close to that previously reported for birds of the same group, but not those from the same region. PMID:24143957

Most plastic ingestion studies rely on dissection of dead birds, which are found opportunistically, and may be biased. We used Leach's Storm-petrels (Oceanodroma leucorhoa) in Newfoundland to study the effect of dose volume, and the efficacy of emesis using syrup of ipecac as an emetic. Ipecac is a safe method of non-lethally sampling stomach contents, and recovered all ingested plastic. Almost half the storm-petrels sampled had ingested plastic, ranging from 0 to 17 pieces, and weighing 0.2-16.9 mg. Using the Ecological Quality Objective for Northern Fulmars, adjusted for storm-petrels smaller size, 43% exceeded the threshold of 0.0077 g of plastic. Many adult seabirds offload plastic to their offspring, so storm-petrel chicks likely experience a higher plastic burden than their parents. The ability to study plastic ingestion non-lethally allows researchers to move from opportunistic and haphazard sampling to hypothesis-driven studies on a wider range of taxa and age classes. PMID:23507234

Specimens (a downy fledgling and a hatch-year juvenile) and nocturnal calling of the Band-rumped Storm-Petrel (Oceanodroma custro) are evidence that this rare seabird breeds on the island of Hawaii. Nocturnal calling over land and sightings near the coast indicate that populations nest on the southwest rift and possibly the upper western slope of Mauna Loa.

The Fregetta storm-petrels generally are regarded to comprise two species: black-bellied storm-petrels F. tropica (monotypic) breed at Antarctic and sub-Antarctic islands (46-63°S), and white-bellied storm-petrels F. grallaria breed at south temperate islands (28-37°S), with four recognized subspecies. Confusion surrounds the status of birds at Gough Island (40°S), central South Atlantic, which have been attributed usually to a white-bellied form of black-bellied storm-petrel F. t. melanoleuca. We use cytochrome b and nuclear β-fibrinogen gene sequences to show that F. t. melanoleuca are present during the breeding season at Gough and islands in the nearby Tristan da Cunha archipelago (37°S), exhibiting limited divergence from F. t. tropica. We also show that there is greater diversity among F. grallaria populations, with eastern South Pacific F. g. segethi and F. g. titan differing by c. 0.011, and both differing from western South Pacific nominate F. g. grallaria by c. 0.059. The Tristan archipelago supports a population of F. grallaria closely allied to the nominate form, as well as a distinct form identified as F. g. leucogaster. Further research is needed to assess how F. grallaria and F. tropica segregate in sympatry at Tristan and Gough, and why this is the only location where both species have white-bellies. PMID:26804817

Wide agreement exists that the Caribbean plate has a Pacific origin and that parts of it depict an igneous Plateau of up to 20 km thick crust. However, the origin of this thickened crust remains debated. One of the first suggestions for its origin was the arrival of a plume, whose remnant might be the Galapagos hotspot. More recently, it has been argued that reconstruction models predicted the Galapagos hotspot a thousand or more kilometres away from the Caribbean plate at the time of Plateau formation (~88 ?? 94 Ma). These authors primarily relied on the Caribbean Plateau moving into its present position relative to the Americas only in the last few million years. Secondarily, the authors assumed that the hotspot was fixed in an Indian-Atlantic hotspot reference frame. Here, we explore the idea that the Plateau moved into position around the time of the initiation of convergence between the North and South America, about 54.5 Ma. In addition, we adopt a fixed Pacific hotspot reference frame and compare our results to the recently developed Global Moving Hotspot Reference Frame. We show that both frames lead to good correlations between the paleo-positions of the Caribbean Plate and the Galapagos hotspot. As this result is consistent with abundant geochemical evidence that lends support for both a plume origin as well as the similarity between the Galapagos hotspot and rocks from the Plateau itself, we argue that alternative mechanisms to explain the thickened crust of the Caribbean Plateau are unnecessary. Additionally, based on our new plate reconstruction model, we present an age distribution of the lithosphere underneath the thickened crust of the Caribbean Plateau that has remained speculative until now.

Volcanic islands of the Galapagos Archipelago are the most recent subaerial expression of the Galapagos hotspot. These islands and numerous seamounts are constructed mainly upon a broad volcanic platform that overlies very young (less than 10 m.y.) oceanic lithosphere just south of the active Galapagos Spreading Center. The 91 deg W fracture zone crosses the platform and creates an estimated 5-m.y. age discontinuity in the lithosphere. Major tectonic features of the Galapagos include an unusually broad distribution of volcanic centers, pronounced structural trends such as the NW-SE Wolf-Darwin Lineament (WDL), and a steep escarpment along the western and southern margins of the archipelago. We use shipboard gravity and bathymetry data along with Geosat geoid data to explain the tectonic and structural evolution of the Galapagos region. We model the gravity anomalies using a variety of compensation models, including Airy isostasy, continuous elastic flexure of the lithosphere, and an elastic plate with embedded weaknesses, and we infer significant lithospheric strength variations across the archipelago. The outboard parts of the southern and western escarpment are flexurally supported with an effective elastic thickness of approximately 12 km. This area includes the large shield volcanoes of Fernandina and Isabela Islands, where the lithosphere regionally supports these volcanic loads. The central platform is weaker, with an elastic thickness of 6 km or less, and close to Airy isostasy. The greatest depths to the Moho are located beneath eastern Isabela Island and the central platform. Thinner lithosphere in this region may account for the broad distribution of volcanoes, the extended period of eruption of the central volcanoes, and their reduced size. The transition from strong to weak lithosphere along the southern escarpment appears to be abrupt, within the resolution of our models, and can be best represented by a free end or faultlike discontinuity. Also

Spatial asymmetry in the isotopic composition of volcanic rocks has been identified at several Pacific hotspots, including Hawaii, the Marquesas, and Samoa (Weis, 2011; Huang et al., 2011); the volcanoes are arranged in two chains that define distinct, sub-parallel fields in isotopic space. For these hotspots, lavas from the northern chains have a more depleted signature (higher ɛNd, lower 87Sr/86Sr, lower 208Pb*/206Pb*) than the corresponding southern chains. All 3 hotspots are located near the northern margin of the Large Low Shear Velocity Province (LLSVP) beneath the Pacific. Previous workers have proposed that the asymmetry may reflect bilateral compositional zonation in the plume created by an azimuthal distribution of heterogeneities about the base of the plume conduit, related to material in the LLSVP. This distribution is preserved in filaments from the lower mantle (e.g., Farnetani and Hofmann, 2009). Recently, Payne et al. (in press) showed that rocks from the Societies have an isotopic asymmetry that is the mirror image of Hawaii, with the northern lavas enriched relative to the southern chain. This is consistent with the Societies hotspot's location near the southern, rather than the northern margin of the LLSVP. We present data from two additional hotspots that exhibit spatial asymmetry in the isotopic characteristics of their lavas: the Galapagos and Easter hotspots, both on the Nazca Plate. Despite lacking two distinct volcanic chains, Galapagos lavas define a pattern similar to Hawaii, with enriched isotopic signatures in the southern and western archipelago and more depleted material in the north and east; the boundary dividing the compositional fields defines a NW-SE line parallel to the edge of the LLSVP. In contrast, the Easter Island chain resembles the Societies, in that the enriched lavas are erupted from the northern volcanoes, a mirror image of the Galapagos and coincident with the southern boundary of the LLSVP. Several important

SinoProbe has been initiated to enhance understanding of earth deep structure, resources and geological disasters forecasting throughout Chinese continent. Besides traditional deep exploration methods, various state-of-the-art technologies have been carried out in order to acquire data and jointly utilize all possible information reflecting deep crust and mantle structures and evolution.Petrel, a powerful software application developed by Schlumberger, has been successfully applied to the O&G industry. It is now a complete seismic-to-simulation application for 3D and 2D seismic interpretation. However, it has a great potential to allow the user to extend utilization with multiple types of data sets to deal with much deeper geophysical information. Petrel all-in-one concept, that functionally comprises of massive data integration, multiple domains experts participation and 3D geological object-oriented etc., will come benefit to the deep earth study. Currently, there is no special tool designed for this purpose so that Petrel is required to extend its potential to cope with not only O&G area but also a larger area with unique requests of deeper objects.Ocean, a software framework for Petrel, provides an open development environment offering seamless integration of developer intellectual contribution to the Petrel mainstream workflow. It is able to accelerate the development and deployment of user's Petrel-like workflows to resolve complex problems. It can be implemented by means of plug-ins utilities although there is additional challenge to write a robust code with Ocean framework. Deep seismic reflection profiling is a well recognized technique to reveal the fine structure of lithosphere. Moreover, it can perform a significant role for prospective evaluation of O&G and mineral resources, and geological disasters. Its near-vertical deep seismic reflection method can enhance broad band seismic observations for imaging of the deep crust and continental geodynamics

Understanding how individual movement scales with body size is of fundamental importance in predicting ecological relationships for diverse species. One-dimensional movement metrics scale consistently with body size yet vary over different temporal scales. Knowing how temporal scale influences the relationship between animal body size and movement would better inform hypotheses about the efficiency of foraging behaviour, the ontogeny of energy budgets, and numerous life-history trade-offs. We investigated how the temporal scaling of allometric patterns in movement varies over the course of a year, specifically during periods of motivated (directional and fast movement) and unmotivated (stationary and tortuous movement) behaviour. We focused on a recently diverged group of species that displays wide variation in movement behaviour - giant Galapagos tortoises (Chelonoidis spp.) - to test how movement metrics estimated on a monthly basis scaled with body size. We used state-space modelling to estimate seven different movement metrics of Galapagos tortoises. We used log-log regression of the power law to evaluate allometric scaling for these movement metrics and contrasted relationships by species and sex. Allometric scaling of movement was more apparent during motivated periods of movement. During this period, allometry was revealed at multiple temporal intervals (hourly, daily and monthly), with values observed at daily and monthly intervals corresponding most closely to the expected one-fourth scaling coefficient, albeit with wide credible intervals. We further detected differences in the magnitude of scaling among taxa uncoupled from observed differences in the temporal structuring of their movement rates. Our results indicate that the definition of temporal scales is fundamental to the detection of allometry of movement and should be given more attention in movement studies. Our approach not only provides new conceptual insights into temporal attributes in one

The role of disease in regulating populations is controversial, partly owing to the absence of good disease records in historic wildlife populations. We examined birds collected in the Galapagos Islands between 1891 and 1906 that are currently held at the California Academy of Sciences and the Zoologisches Staatssammlung Muenchen, including 3973 specimens representing species from two well-studied families of endemic passerine birds: finches and mockingbirds. Beginning with samples collected in 1899, we observed cutaneous lesions consistent with Avipoxvirus on 226 (6.3%) specimens. Histopathology and viral genotyping of 59 candidate tissue samples from six islands showed that 21 (35.6%) were positive for Avipoxvirus, while alternative diagnoses for some of those testing negative by both methods were feather follicle cysts, non-specific dermatitis, or post mortem fungal colonization. Positive specimens were significantly nonrandomly distributed among islands both for mockingbirds (San Cristobal vs. Espanola, Santa Fe and Santa Cruz) and for finches (San Cristobal and Isabela vs. Santa Cruz and Floreana), and overall highly significantly distributed toward islands that were inhabited by humans (San Cristobal, Isabela, Floreana) vs. uninhabited at the time of collection (Santa Cruz, Santa Fe, Espanola), with only one positive individual on an uninhabited island. Eleven of the positive specimens sequenced successfully were identical at four diagnostic sites to the two canarypox variants previously described in contemporary Galapagos passerines. We conclude that this virus was introduced late in 1890′s and was dispersed among islands by a variety of mechanisms, including regular human movements among colonized islands. At present, this disease represents an ongoing threat to the birds on the Galapagos Islands. PMID:21249151

Understanding how individual movement scales with body size is of fundamental importance in predicting ecological relationships for diverse species. One-dimensional movement metrics scale consistently with body size yet vary over different temporal scales. Knowing how temporal scale influences the relationship between animal body size and movement would better inform hypotheses about the efficiency of foraging behaviour, the ontogeny of energy budgets, and numerous life-history trade-offs.We investigated how the temporal scaling of allometric patterns in movement varies over the course of a year, specifically during periods of motivated (directional and fast movement) and unmotivated (stationary and tortuous movement) behaviour. We focused on a recently diverged group of species that displays wide variation in movement behaviour – giant Galapagos tortoises (Chelonoidis spp.) – to test how movement metrics estimated on a monthly basis scaled with body size.We used state-space modelling to estimate seven different movement metrics of Galapagos tortoises. We used log-log regression of the power law to evaluate allometric scaling for these movement metrics and contrasted relationships by species and sex.Allometric scaling of movement was more apparent during motivated periods of movement. During this period, allometry was revealed at multiple temporal intervals (hourly, daily and monthly), with values observed at daily and monthly intervals corresponding most closely to the expected one-fourth scaling coefficient, albeit with wide credible intervals. We further detected differences in the magnitude of scaling among taxa uncoupled from observed differences in the temporal structuring of their movement rates.Our results indicate that the definition of temporal scales is fundamental to the detection of allometry of movement and should be given more attention in movement studies. Our approach not only provides new conceptual insights into temporal attributes in one

Dogs on the Galapagos Islands are a unique population created by isolation from the mainland and regulations prohibiting further importation. The effect of infectious agents of these domestic dogs on the indigenous fauna is largely unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasites in dogs on the Galapagos Islands. Fecal samples were collected from 97 dogs presented during neutering campaigns on Santa Cruz (n=51), San Cristobal (n=17), and Isabela (n=29) islands. Feces were evaluated for parasites by microscopic examination after zinc sulfate centrifugation flotation as well as by a commercially available IFA for Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia spp. Polymerase chain reaction for Cryptosporidium spp. DNA and Giardia spp. DNA was performed on all positive samples to provide the infecting genotypes. Ancylostoma caninum (57.7%) and Toxocara canis (16.5%) were most commonly detected, followed by Giardia spp. (5.2%), Isospora canis (4.1%), Sarcocystis canis (3.1%), and Cryptosporidium spp. (1%). Adequate DNA for sequencing was available for one Giardia spp. which was shown to be assemblage D. Despite being isolated, the dogs on the Galapagos have many of the same enteric parasites detected on the mainland of South America. These dogs are not routinely administered anthelmintics or other drugs, but are often allowed to roam the streets and live in close proximity to humans. Parasite prophylaxis is necessary to decrease the parasite burden within the population and to lessen the risk of spread to humans or other animals also inhabiting the islands. PMID:20176441

This was an observational study offering a screening program for diabetes in a health clinic in Puerto Ayora town on Santa Cruz Island to determine the prevalence of this disorder and identify those at risk. A 1-month screening program was undertaken. Of 141 patients screened, 85% of men and 83% of women were overweight or obese; 16 (11%) had suspected undiagnosed diabetes and 22 (16%) were at high risk of developing diabetes. This is the first reported study of glucose intolerance prevalence in Galapagos. Urgent education and prevention programs are required to address this public health problem. PMID:26086607

Many present-day hot spots are located within ~ 1000 km of a mid-ocean ridge, either currently or in the geologic past, leading to frequent interaction between these two magmatic regimes. The consequent plume-ridge interactions provide a unique opportunity to test models for asthenosphere-lithosphere dynamics, with the plume acting as a tracer fluid in the problem, and excess magmatism reflecting otherwise unsampled sub-surface phenomena. Galapagos is an off-ridge hotspot with the mantle plume located ~150-250 km south of the plate boundary. Plume-ridge interaction in Galapagos is expressed by the formation of volcanic lineaments of islands and seamounts - e.g., the Wolf-Darwin lineament (WDL) - providing a direct probe of the plume-ridge interaction process, especially in regards to geochemical data. Although several models have been proposed to explain plume-ridge interaction in Galapagos, none adequately explain the observed characteristics, especially the WDL. In particular, predicted lithospheric fault orientations and melt density considerations appear at odds with observations, suggesting that lithospheric extension is not the primary process for formation of these islands. Other off-ridge hotspots interacting with nearby spreading ridges, such as Reunion and Louisville, also exhibit volcanic lineaments linking the plume and the ridge. Thus these lineament-type features are a common outcome of plume-ridge interaction that are indicative of the underlying physics. We propose that the lineaments are surface expressions of narrow sub-lithospheric melt channels focused towards the spreading ridge. These channels should form naturally due to the reactive infiltration instability in a two-phase flow of magma and solid mantle as demonstrated in two-phase flow simulations (e.g., Katz & Weatherley 2012). For Galapagos, we show that melt channels can persist thermodynamically over sufficient length-scales to link the plume and nearby ridge segments. We also show that

This was an observational study offering a screening program for diabetes in a health clinic in Puerto Ayora town on Santa Cruz Island to determine the prevalence of this disorder and identify those at risk. A 1-month screening program was undertaken. Of 141 patients screened, 85% of men and 83% of women were overweight or obese; 16 (11%) had suspected undiagnosed diabetes and 22 (16%) were at high risk of developing diabetes. This is the first reported study of glucose intolerance prevalence in Galapagos. Urgent education and prevention programs are required to address this public health problem. PMID:26086607

Differences in nest attendance between genders in seabirds may be related to morphological differences. Southern giant petrel is a dimorphic species with gender-specific foraging behavior. The objective of this study was to investigate sex-related differences in nest attendance during the breeding period of southern giant petrels by presence/absence patterns of both sexes during incubation and compare use of the colony after nest failure. Fourteen birds were tagged with digitally coded radio-transmitters in a colony at Elephant Island, Antarctica, in the beginning of 2009/2010 breeding season. Females were present during 18 periods (min. 3 days, max. 9 days) and males only in five periods (min. 2 days, max. 13 days). The difference in mean number of radio signals per day between females (4330; s.e. 313.5) and males (2691; s.e. 248.6) was highly significant (t = 4.3; d.f. = 199; P < 0.001; Fig. 4 ). As consequence of the severe weather conditions that year, all tagged birds failed to reproduce. After abandonment of the nests, the presence of both genders decreased drastically, although the tagged individuals stayed in the area. Under severe weather conditions female Southern Giant Petrels continue breeding while males abandon the nest earlier. PMID:25088590

Human disturbance is an important stress factor with potentially strong impact on breeding activity in animals. The consequences can be extinction of the breeding population, because disturbed animals might desert their breeding area and find no suitable substitute area. In this study, we investigated the effects of anthropogenic disturbance on a breeding population of Mediterranean storm petrels. Seabirds are increasingly used as bio-indicators for sea environmental parameters, because they are very sensitive to changing conditions. Burrowing or cave-nesting species may be particularly susceptible to human disturbance because their direct contact with humans is usually minimal or absent. First, we compared two different populations (exposed or not exposed to human disturbance) for their individual stress response to a standardized stressor (handling and keeping in a cloth bag). Second, we compared the two sub-colonies for their population-level stress response. Third, we tested experimentally whether sub-colonies of storm petrels exposed to tourism have physiological adaptations to anthropogenic disturbances. Our results indicate that storm petrels may be habituated to moderate disturbance associated with boat traffic close to the colony. PMID:27293726

Human disturbance is an important stress factor with potentially strong impact on breeding activity in animals. The consequences can be extinction of the breeding population, because disturbed animals might desert their breeding area and find no suitable substitute area. In this study, we investigated the effects of anthropogenic disturbance on a breeding population of Mediterranean storm petrels. Seabirds are increasingly used as bio-indicators for sea environmental parameters, because they are very sensitive to changing conditions. Burrowing or cave-nesting species may be particularly susceptible to human disturbance because their direct contact with humans is usually minimal or absent. First, we compared two different populations (exposed or not exposed to human disturbance) for their individual stress response to a standardized stressor (handling and keeping in a cloth bag). Second, we compared the two sub-colonies for their population-level stress response. Third, we tested experimentally whether sub-colonies of storm petrels exposed to tourism have physiological adaptations to anthropogenic disturbances. Our results indicate that storm petrels may be habituated to moderate disturbance associated with boat traffic close to the colony. PMID:27293726

The principle of competitive exclusion postulates that ecologically-similar species are expected to partition their use of resources, leading to niche divergence. The most likely mechanisms allowing such coexistence are considered to be segregation in a horizontal, vertical or temporal dimension, or, where these overlap, a difference in trophic niche. Here, by combining information obtained from tracking devices (geolocator-immersion and time depth recorders), stable isotope analyses of blood, and conventional morphometry, we provide a detailed investigation of the ecological mechanisms that explain the coexistence of four species of abundant, zooplanktivorous seabirds in Southern Ocean ecosystems (blue petrel Halobaena caerulea, Antarctic prion Pachyptila desolata, common diving petrel Pelecanoides urinatrix and South Georgian diving petrel P. georgicus). The results revealed a combination of horizontal, vertical and temporal foraging segregation during the breeding season. The stable isotope and morphological analyses reinforced this conclusion, indicating that each species occupied a distinct trophic space, and that this appears to reflect adaptations in terms of flight performance. In conclusion, the present study indicated that although there was a degree of overlap in some measures of foraging behaviour, overall the four taxa operated in very different ecological space despite breeding in close proximity. We therefore provide important insight into the mechanisms allowing these very large populations of ecologically-similar predators to coexist. PMID:23646155

The principle of competitive exclusion postulates that ecologically-similar species are expected to partition their use of resources, leading to niche divergence. The most likely mechanisms allowing such coexistence are considered to be segregation in a horizontal, vertical or temporal dimension, or, where these overlap, a difference in trophic niche. Here, by combining information obtained from tracking devices (geolocator-immersion and time depth recorders), stable isotope analyses of blood, and conventional morphometry, we provide a detailed investigation of the ecological mechanisms that explain the coexistence of four species of abundant, zooplanktivorous seabirds in Southern Ocean ecosystems (blue petrel Halobaena caerulea, Antarctic prion Pachyptila desolata, common diving petrel Pelecanoides urinatrix and South Georgian diving petrel P. georgicus). The results revealed a combination of horizontal, vertical and temporal foraging segregation during the breeding season. The stable isotope and morphological analyses reinforced this conclusion, indicating that each species occupied a distinct trophic space, and that this appears to reflect adaptations in terms of flight performance. In conclusion, the present study indicated that although there was a degree of overlap in some measures of foraging behaviour, overall the four taxa operated in very different ecological space despite breeding in close proximity. We therefore provide important insight into the mechanisms allowing these very large populations of ecologically-similar predators to coexist. PMID:23646155

Studies on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in Antarctic wildlife are scarce, and usually limited to a single locality. As a result, wildlife exposure to POPs across the Southern Ocean is poorly understood. In this study, we report the differential exposure of the major southern ocean scavengers, the giant petrels, to POPs across a wide latitudinal gradient. Selected POPs (PCBs, HCB, DDTs, PBDEs) and related compounds, such as Dechlorane Plus (DP), were analyzed in plasma of southern giant petrels (Macronectes giganteus) breeding on Livingston (62°S 61°W, Antarctica), Marion (46°S 37°E, sub-Antarctic), and Gough (40°S 10°W, cool temperate) islands. Northern giant petrels (Macronectes halli) from Marion Island were also studied. Stable isotope ratios of C and N (δ(13)C and δ(15)N) were used as dietary tracers of the marine habitat and trophic level, respectively. Breeding locality was a major factor explaining petrel exposure to POPs compared with species and sex. Significant relationships between δ(13)C values and POP burdens, at both inter- and intra-population levels, support latitudinal variations in feeding grounds as a key factor in explaining petrel pollutant burdens. Overall, pollutant levels in giant petrels decreased significantly with latitude, but the relative abundance (%) of the more volatile POPs increased towards Antarctica. DP was found at negligible levels compared with legacy POPs in Antarctic seabirds. Spatial POP patterns found in giant petrels match those predicted by global distribution models, and reinforce the hypothesis of atmospheric long-range transport as the main source of POPs in Antarctica. Our results confirm that wildlife movements out of the polar region markedly increase their exposure to POPs. Therefore, strategies for Antarctic wildlife conservation should consider spatial heterogeneity in exposure to marine pollution. Of particular relevance is the need to clarify the exposure of Antarctic predators to emerging

Small, rare and wide-ranging pelagic birds are difficult to locate and observe at sea; little is therefore known regarding individual movements and habitat affinities among many of the world's storm-petrels (Family Hydrobatidae). We re-located 57 of 70 radio-marked Ashy Storm-Petrels Oceanodroma homochroa captured at three colonies in the California Channel Islands: Scorpion Rocks (2004, 2005), Santa Barbara Island (2004) and Prince Island (2005). Between 23 July and 22 September 2004, and 5 July and 4 August 2005, we flew 29 telemetry surveys, covered more than 65 000 km2 (2004) and 43 000 km2 (2005) of open ocean from San Nicolas Island north to the Farallon Islands and obtained 215 locations from 57 storm-petrels at sea. In both years, radio-marked storm-petrels were aggregated over the continental slope from Point Conception to Point Buchon, within the western Santa Barbara Channel, and over the Santa Cruz Basin between Santa Cruz, San Nicolas and Santa Barbara islands. Individuals captured in the Channel Islands ranged more than 600 km and were located as far north as Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. This is the first study to use radiotelemetry to determine the at-sea distribution and movements for any storm-petrel species.

The Galapagos is a flourishing yet fragile ecosystem whose health is particularly sensitive to regional and global climate variations. The distribution of several species, including the Galapagos Penguin, is intimately tied to upwelling of cold, nutrient-rich water along the western shores of the archipelago. Here we show, using reliable, high-resolution sea surface temperature observations, that the Galapagos cold pool has been intensifying and expanding northward since 1982. The linear cooling trend of 0.8°C per 33 years is likely the result of long-term changes in equatorial ocean circulation previously identified. Moreover, the northward expansion of the cold pool is dynamically consistent with a slackening of the cross-equatorial component of the regional trade winds—leading to an equatorward shift of the mean position of the Equatorial Undercurrent. The implied change in strength and distribution of upwelling has important implications for ongoing and future conservation measures in the Galapagos.

This is a three dimensional perspective view of Isla Isabela in the western Galapagos Islands. It was taken by the L-band radar in HH polarization from the Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-Band Synthetic Aperature Radar on the 40th orbit of the Shuttle Endeavour. This view was constructed by overlaying a SIR-C radar image on a U.S. Geological Survey digital elevation map. The image is centered at about .5 degrees south latitude and 91 degrees West longitude and covers an area of 75 km by 60 km. This SIR-C/X-SAR image of Alcedo and Sierra Negra volcanoes shows the rougher lava flows as bright features, while ash deposits and smooth Pahoehoe lava flows dark. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory alternative photo number is P-43938.

The authors have measured the isotopes of He, Sr, Nd and Pb in a number of lava flows from the Galapagos Archipelago; the main goal is to use magmatic helium as a tracer of plume influence in the western volcanoes. Because the Galapagos lava flows are so well preserved, it is also possible to measure surface exposure ages using in situ cosmic-ray-produced {sup 3}He. The exposure ages range from {lt}0.1 to 580 Ka, are consistent with other chronological constrains, and provide the first direct dating of these lava flows. The new age data demonstrate the utility of the technique in this important age range and show that the western Galapagos volcanoes have been erupting distance compositions simultaneously for the last {approximately}10 Ka. The magmatic {sup 3}He/{sup 4}He ratios range from 6.0 to 27 times atmospheric (R{sub a}), with the highest values found on the islands of Isabella (16.8 R{sub a} for Vulcan Sierra Negra) and Fernandina (23 to 27 R{sub a}). Values from Santa Cruz are close to typical mid-ocean ridge basalt values (MORB, of {approximately}9 R{sub 2}) and Pinta has a {sup 3}He/{sup 4}He ratio lower than MORB (6.9 R{sub a}). These data confirm that the plume is centered beneath Fernandina which is the most active volcano in the archipelago and is at the leading edge of plate motion. The data are consistent with previous isotopic studies, confirming extensive contributions from depleted asthenospheric or lithospheric mantle sources, especially to the central islands. The most striking aspect of the helium isotopic data is that the {sup 3}He/{sup 4}He ratios decrease systematically in all directions from Fernandina. This spatial variability is assumed to reflect the contribution of the purest plume component to Fernandina magmatism, and shows that helium is a sensitive indicator of plume influence. The highest {sup 3}He/{sup 4}He ratios are found in volcanoes with lowest Na{sub 2}O(8) and FeO(8), which may relate to source composition as well as degree

Helium-3/helium-4 ratios in submarine basalt glasses from the Galapagos Archipelago range up to 23 times the atmospheric ratio in the west and southwest. These results indicate the presence of a relatively undegassed mantle plume at the Galápagos hot spot and place Galápagos alongside Hawaii, Iceland, and Samoa as the only localities known to have such high helium-3/helium-4 ratios. Lower ratios across the rest of the Galápagos Archipelago reflect systematic variations in the degree of dilution of the plume by entrainment of depleted material from the asthenosphere. These spatial variations reveal the dynamics of the underlying mantle plume and its interaction with the nearby Galápagos Spreading Center. PMID:17794969

Although significant work has been done on LIPS and OIB, no complete record of the evolution of a mantle plume is available at this point. Galapagos-related lavas provide a complete record of the evolution of a mantle plume since the plume's initial stages in the Cretaceous. Our petrological models (PRIMELT2) suggest that the Galapagos plume head that formed the Caribbean Large Igneous Province (CLIP) at ~95 Ma melted at hotter temperatures than the ocean island basalt (OIB) equivalents of the modern archipelago. While this work suggests a significant decrease in mantle potential temperatures (Tp) over time, the exact mechanism responsible for secular cooling of the Galapagos plume remains unclear. One viable explanation is that plumes entraining recycled oceanic crust (pyroxenite) will be cooler than purely peridotite plumes, due to the effect of dense pyroxenite on the plume's buoyancy. High-precision electron microprobe analyses on olivine cores from the ~70 Ma Galapagos-related Quepos terrane in Costa Rica indicate a mixed peridotite-pyroxenite source lithology, not evident during the LIP stage. The appearance of this pyroxenitic component correlates with the first record of an EMII isotopic signature (Northern Galapagos Domain), and significant high-field strength enrichments in the Galapagos plume related lavas. This dense pyroxenite component may explain the marked decrease in Tp observed at ~70 Ma due to its effect on the plume's buoyancy. Otherwise, the pyroxenite component may have been diluted during voluminous basalt production of the CLIP by high peridotite melt fractions. Future research will incorporate further petrological modeling, olivine chemistry, and radiogenic isotope work of accreted Galapagos terranes in Central America to test whether or not a decrease in Tp correlates with increasing pyroxenite content in source melts.

Carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes in albatrosses and petrels collected off southern Brazil were compared with concentrations of organochlorine contaminants (OCs). δ(13)C and δ(15)N values, as well as OCs concentrations, exhibited a high degree of variability among individuals and overlap among species. δ(13)C values reflected latitudinal differences among species, with lower values found in Wandering and Tristan Albatrosses and higher values found in Black-browed and Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatrosses and White-chinned Petrels. Some relationships were found between OCs and stable isotopes, but in general a partial 'uncoupling' was observed between OCs concentrations and stable isotopes ratios (especially for δ(15)N). δ(13)C and δ(15)N values in Procellariiformes tissues during the non-breeding season appear to be a better indicator of foraging habitats than of trophic relationships, which may partially explain the high degree of variability between concentrations of OCs and stable isotopes ratios in birds with a diversified diet and wide foraging range. PMID:24766898

Since 1956, Southern Giant Petrels on the Frazier Islands, East Antarctica, have been counted with different census techniques, sometimes varying within seasons and among islands, which hindered analysis of the data. Protective measures for the islands from 1986 onwards have increased the need for reliable long-term census data, but reduced the ways to collect these data. Published and unpublished data were re-examined, and population trends were reconstructed based on two relatively standardised techniques: the number of active chicks (AC) and the number of apparently occupied nests (AON) around hatching. AC-values from Nelly Island from 1959 to 1998 indicate substantial periodic fluctuations, but no consistent long-term change. Since the late 1970s, AC-values on the other two islands and AON-values suggest that the breeding population may have grown by 35%. This recent growth, however, is within the extent of periodic fluctuations observed in Southern Giant Petrel population that is stable over the long term. ?? Springer-Verlag 2004.

The Southern giant petrel (Macronectes giganteus) is declining over much of its range and currently is listed as vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Island-specific breeding colonies near Palmer Station, Antarctica, have been monitored for over 30 years, and because this population continues to increase, it is critically important to conservation. In austral summer 2004, six diseased giant petrel chicks were observed in four of these colonies. Diseased chicks were 6a??9 weeks old and had multiple proliferative nodules on their bills and skin. One severely affected chick was found dead on the nest and was salvaged for necropsy. Histopathological examination of nodules from the dead chick revealed epithelial cell hyperplasia and hypertrophy with numerous eosinophilic intracytoplasmic inclusions (B??llinger bodies). A poxvirus was isolated from multiple nodules. Poxviral infection has not been reported in this species, and the reason for its emergence and its potential impact on the population are not yet known.

Bulwer's petrels are nocturnal seabirds that mostly prey on mesopelagic fauna. As aerial foragers and shallow divers, their feeding opportunities are limited by near-surface availability of their prey, which is highly variable both temporally (reflecting diurnal and lunar cycles) and spatially. Here we studied how Bulwer's petrels cope with these constraints by analysing their at-sea distribution and activity during the incubation period. We tracked the movements of 20 birds from Selvagem Grande (NE Atlantic) during a complete lunar cycle, and recorded 30 foraging trips that lasted 11 days on average. Birds were both distributed around the colony and in waters close to the Azorean archipelago (mid-Atlantic) located 1700 km away, and were significantly more active at night (especially just after sunset and before sunrise), when mesopelagic fauna is also closer to the sea surface due to their diel vertical migrations. Bulwer's petrels spent significantly more time flying during moonlight, although the effect of the moon was relatively weak (ca. 10-15% difference between moonlit and dark periods of the night), and not obvious when birds were foraging in mid-Atlantic waters, which were also targeted more often during full-moon. These results reveal key adaptations of the Bulwer's petrel to the highly dynamic ecology of its mesopelagic prey.

The Southern Ocean provides one of the largest environmental gradients on Earth that lacks geographical barriers, and small but highly mobile petrels living there may offer fine models of evolution of diversity along environmental gradients. Using geolocation devices, we investigated the winter distribution of closely related petrel species breeding sympatrically in the southern Indian Ocean, and applied ecological niche models to compare environmental conditions in the habitat used. We show that thin-billed prions (Pachyptila belcheri), Antarctic prions (Pachyptila desolata) and blue petrels (Halobaena caerulea) from the Kerguelen archipelago in the southern Indian Ocean segregate latitudinally, sea surface temperature being the most important variable separating the distribution of the species. Antarctic prions spent the winter north of the Polar Front in temperate waters, whereas blue petrels were found south of the Polar Front in Antarctic waters. Thin-billed prions preferred intermediate latitudes and temperatures. Stable isotope values of feathers reflected this near complete niche separation across an ecological gradient that spans large scales, and suggest evolutionary isolation by environment. In pelagic seabirds that exploit large areas of ocean, spatial niche partitioning may not only facilitate coexistence among ecologically similar species, but may also have driven their evolution in the absence of geographical barriers. PMID:25878044

The Southern Ocean provides one of the largest environmental gradients on Earth that lacks geographical barriers, and small but highly mobile petrels living there may offer fine models of evolution of diversity along environmental gradients. Using geolocation devices, we investigated the winter distribution of closely related petrel species breeding sympatrically in the southern Indian Ocean, and applied ecological niche models to compare environmental conditions in the habitat used. We show that thin-billed prions (Pachyptila belcheri), Antarctic prions (Pachyptila desolata) and blue petrels (Halobaena caerulea) from the Kerguelen archipelago in the southern Indian Ocean segregate latitudinally, sea surface temperature being the most important variable separating the distribution of the species. Antarctic prions spent the winter north of the Polar Front in temperate waters, whereas blue petrels were found south of the Polar Front in Antarctic waters. Thin-billed prions preferred intermediate latitudes and temperatures. Stable isotope values of feathers reflected this near complete niche separation across an ecological gradient that spans large scales, and suggest evolutionary isolation by environment. In pelagic seabirds that exploit large areas of ocean, spatial niche partitioning may not only facilitate coexistence among ecologically similar species, but may also have driven their evolution in the absence of geographical barriers. PMID:25878044

The great polymorphism observed in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes is thought to be maintained by pathogen-mediated selection possibly combined with MHC-disassortative mating, guided by MHC-determined olfactory cues. Here, we partly characterize the MHC class I and II B of the blue petrel, Halobaena caerulea (Procellariiformes), a bird with significant olfactory abilities that lives under presumably low pathogen burdens in Subantarctica. Blue petrels are long-lived, monogamous birds which suggest the necessity of an accurate mate choice process. The species is ancestral to songbirds (Passeriformes; many MHC loci), although not to gamefowls (Galliformes; few MHC loci). Considering the phylogenetic relationships and the low subantarctic pathogen burden, we expected few rather than many MHC loci in the blue petrel. However, when we analysed partial MHC class I and class II B cDNA and gDNA sequences we found evidence for as many as at least eight MHC class I loci and at least two class II B loci. These class I and II B sequences showed classical MHC characteristics, e.g. high nucleotide diversity, especially in putative peptide-binding regions where signatures of positive selection was detected. Trans-species polymorphism was found between MHC class II B sequences of the blue petrel and those of thin-billed prion, Pachyptila belcheri, two species that diverged ∼25 MYA. The observed MHC allele richness in the blue petrel may well serve as a basis for mate choice, especially since olfactory discrimination of MHC types may be possible in this species. PMID:21607694

Galapagos Islands volcanoes are some of the most rapidly deforming volcanoes on Earth, yet the magma storage chambers and migration pathways are poorly imaged. Three-dimensional tomographic inversion for seismic attenuation, 1/Q, is used to image variations in subsurface structure and heterogeneity associated with magma storage and volcanic construction at Sierra Negra volcano, Galapagos Islands. P-wave power spectra were used to estimate t* (attenuation weighted, integrated slowness) in the frequency domain for local earthquakes recorded on the 15 station, broadband SIGNET array. The SIGNET network was deployed around Sierra Negra caldera and the southern part of Isabela Island between August 2009 and January 2011. A subset of 451 earthquakes was selected for attenuation analysis based on event location within the array and station coverage. The modelled spectra were used to calculate path attenuation and earthquake source parameters. The earthquake source parameters corresponding to amplitude at zero frequency (Ω0) and corner frequency (fc) relate to earthquake size and are therefore set constant across stations. Accordingly, we derive a single Ω0 and fc for each event and fix them while allowing only t* to vary. Values of t* range between 8.89 x 10-15 and 0.0525. Preliminary results show an increase in attenuation beneath the caldera starting at 1 km depth. The zone of high attenuation is more pronounced at 2 km depth and extends laterally to the east and southeast beyond the extent of the 10 km-wide caldera. Gravity anomaly and InSAR data has been used previously to model the magma chamber at Sierra Negra. Deformation modelling requires a flat-topped sill at 2 km depth (Geist et. al., 2007; Jonsson, S., 2009; Yun et. al., 2006). Our shallow, high attenuation zone matches these results, but also indicates that the attenuating bodies extend beyond the limits of the caldera beneath the SE flank of Sierra Negra. Elongate zones of higher attenuation correlate with

Diving conditions, dive profiles, vascular bubbles, and symptoms of decompression sickness (DCS) in a group of Galapagos commercial divers are described. They harvest sea cucumbers from small boats with surface supplied air (hookah). Dive profiles for 12 divers were recorded using dive loggers, and bubble formation was measured in the pulmonary artery. DCS symptoms were assessed by interview. A total of 380 immersions were recorded over a nine day period. The divers did on average 6.3 immersions per day, in a yo-yo pattern. Mean overall depth was 34.5 FSW. Maximum recorded depth was 107 FSW. Average bottom time per day per diver was 175 minutes. 82 % of all ascents exceeded the recommended maximum ascent rate of 30 FSW/ min. High bubble grades were observed on six occasions, but the test was unreliable. Muscle and joint pain was reported on five occasions, in three different divers. Symptoms were typically managed by analgesics, in-water recompression or not at all. The divers were extremely reluctant to seek professional help for DCS symptoms, mostly due to the high costs of treatment. We conclude that the fishermen dive beyond standard no-decompression limits, and that DCS symptoms are common. PMID:16119309

Calderas are topographical depressions resulting from the yielding of magma chambers roof after large eruptions or intrusive events. On the outer slope, most calderas display radial fissures and, in limited cases, also circumferential fissures. Despite many hypotheses, the conditions controlling the formation of radial and/or circumferential fissures, and thus the shallow magma transfer within the volcano slopes, are still poorly understood. Here we demonstrate with numerical and analog models that the mass redistribution associated with caldera formation promotes shallow sill-shaped magma chambers and controls the orientation of eruptive fissures. We find that depending on the initial injection depth, dikes will bend or twist about an axis parallel to propagation resulting in circumferential and radial eruptive fissures, respectively. This mechanism is governed by the competition between gravitational unloading pressure and dike overpressure. We apply our results to Fernandina (Galapagos, Ecuador), the best case of caldera with radial and circumferential fissures, showing that the predicted stress field caused by the caldera unloading is consistent with the pattern of eruptive fissures and the dynamics of magma propagation.

Seabirds are affected by changes in the marine ecosystem. The influence of climatic factors on marine food webs can be reflected in long-term seabird population changes. We modelled the survival and recruitment of the Mediterranean storm petrel (Hydrobates pelagicus melitensis) using a 21-year mark-recapture dataset involving almost 5000 birds. We demonstrated a strong influence of prebreeding climatic conditions on recruitment age and of rainfall and breeding period conditions on juvenile survival. The results suggest that the juvenile survival rate of the Mediterranean subspecies may not be negatively affected by the predicted features of climate change, i.e., warmer summers and lower rainfall. Based on considerations of winter conditions in different parts of the Mediterranean, we were able to draw inferences about the wintering areas of the species for the first time. PMID:24728099

Several long-term studies on Southern Ocean seabirds and seals have suggested a possible link between major declines in breeding performance and El Niño Southern Oscillation events. We report that the breeding performances and body condition of the blue petrel (Halobaena carulea) on the Kerguelen Islands is depressed by episodic, warm sea-surface temperatures (SSTs) in the winter before breeding. Lagged cross correlations between SSTs in the Kerguelen sector and the Southern Oscillation Index indicate that warm SSTs were found south of Kerguelen Islands within a year of, and between 4.2 and 5.4 years after, an El Niño event took place. These results can be discussed with respect to the recently described Antarctic Circumpolar Wave that drives climatic anomalies eastward around the Southern Ocean.

According to niche theory, mechanisms exist that allow co-existence of organisms that would otherwise compete for the same prey and other resources. How seabirds cope with potential competition during the non-breeding period is poorly documented, particularly for small species. Here we investigate for the first time the potential role of spatial, environmental (habitat) and trophic (isotopic) segregation as niche-partitioning mechanisms during the non-breeding season for four species of highly abundant, zooplanktivorous seabird that breed sympatrically in the Southern Ocean. Spatial segregation was found to be the main partitioning mechanism; even for the two sibling species of diving petrel, which spent the non-breeding period in overlapping areas, there was evidence from distribution and stable isotope ratios for differences in habitat use and diving depth. PMID:26165162

According to niche theory, mechanisms exist that allow co-existence of organisms that would otherwise compete for the same prey and other resources. How seabirds cope with potential competition during the non-breeding period is poorly documented, particularly for small species. Here we investigate for the first time the potential role of spatial, environmental (habitat) and trophic (isotopic) segregation as niche-partitioning mechanisms during the non-breeding season for four species of highly abundant, zooplanktivorous seabird that breed sympatrically in the Southern Ocean. Spatial segregation was found to be the main partitioning mechanism; even for the two sibling species of diving petrel, which spent the non-breeding period in overlapping areas, there was evidence from distribution and stable isotope ratios for differences in habitat use and diving depth. PMID:26165162

We evaluated fork-tailed storm-petrels (Oceanodroma furcata) at East Amatuli Island, Barren Islands, the largest storm-petrel breeding colony within the trajectory of the oil slick, to determine whether there was evidence of adverse effects, following the 1989 Exxon Valdex oil spill. Although we were unable to measure all possible indicators, we found insufficient evidence to conclude that there were significant adverse impacts to breeding storm-petrels in 1989.

Body size is one of the most important traits of organisms and allows predictions of an individual's morphology, physiology, behaviour and life history. However, explaining the evolution of complex traits such as body size is difficult because a plethora of other traits influence body size. Here I review what we know about the evolution of body size in a group of island reptiles and try to generalize about the mechanisms that shape body size. Galapagos marine iguanas occupy all 13 larger islands in this Pacific archipelago and have maximum island body weights between 900 and 12 000 g. The distribution of body sizes does not match mitochondrial clades, indicating that body size evolves independently of genetic relatedness. Marine iguanas lack intra- and inter-specific food competition and predators are not size-specific, discounting these factors as selective agents influencing body size. Instead I hypothesize that body size reflects the trade-offs between sexual and natural selection. We found that sexual selection continuously favours larger body sizes. Large males establish display territories and some gain over-proportional reproductive success in the iguanas' mating aggregations. Females select males based on size and activity and are thus responsible for the observed mating skew. However, large individuals are strongly selected against during El Niño-related famines when dietary algae disappear from the intertidal foraging areas. We showed that differences in algae sward (‘pasture’) heights and thermal constraints on large size are causally responsible for differences in maximum body size among populations. I hypothesize that body size in many animal species reflects a trade-off between foraging constraints and sexual selection and suggest that future research could focus on physiological and genetic mechanisms determining body size in wild animals. Furthermore, evolutionary stable body size distributions within populations should be analysed to

The Galapagos Microplate (GM) lies on the western Gaplapagos Spreading Center (GSC), representing one of the classic Ridge-Ridge-Ridge (R-R-R) plate boundaries of the Nazca, Cocos, and Pacific plates. The presence of the 'black smoke' and hydrothermal vent community were firstly confirmed on the GSC. Lots of hydrothermal fields were discovered on the center and eastern GSC, while the western GSC has not been well investigated. During 17th Oct. to 9th Nov. 2009, the 3rd leg of Chinese DY115-21 cruise with R/V Dayangyihao has been launched along 2°N-5°S near equatorial East Pacific Rise (EPR). Two new hydrothermal fields were confirmed. One is named 'Precious Stone Mountain', which is the first hydrothermal field on the GM. The other is found at 101.47°W, 0.84°S EPR. The 'Precious Stone Mountain' hydrothermal field (at 101.49°W, 1.22°N) is located at an off-axial seamount on the southern GM boundary, with a depth from 1,450 to 1,700m. Hydrothermal fluids emitting from the fissures and hydrothermal fauna were captured by deep-tow video. Few mineral clasts of pyrite and chalcopyrite were separated from one sediment sample, but no sulfide chimney was found yet. Hydrothermal fauna such as alive mussels, crabs, shrimps, tubeworms, giant clams, as well as rock samples were collected by TV-Grab. The study of the seafloor classification with Simrad EM120 multi-beam echosounder has been conducted on the 'Precious Stone Mountain' hydrothermal field. The result indicates that seafloor materials around the hydrothermal field can be characterized into three types, such as the fresh lava, hydrothermal sediment, and altered rock.

The Galapagos Archipelago has been thought to be extremely depauperate in bees, with only one species known, Xylocopa darwini. Recently a second species, Anthidium vigintiduopunctatum, was detected. Here we document a third species, Megachile timberlakei. We provide floral records as well as a dia...

The Galapagos Islands are renowned for their high degree of endemism. Marine taxa inhabiting the archipelago might be expected to be an exception, because of their utilization of pelagic habitats--the dispersal barrier for terrestrial taxa--as foraging grounds. Magnificent frigatebirds (Fregata magnificens) have a highly vagile lifestyle and wide geographical distribution around the South and Central American coasts. Given the potentially high levels of gene flow among populations, the species provides a good test of the effectiveness of the Galapagos ecosystem in isolating populations of highly dispersive marine species. We studied patterns of genetic (mitochondrial DNA, microsatellites and nuclear introns) and morphological variation across the distribution of magnificent frigatebirds. Concordant with predictions from life-history traits, we found signatures of extensive gene flow over most of the range, even across the Isthmus of Panama, which is a major barrier to gene flow in other tropical seabirds. In contrast, individuals from the Galapagos were strongly differentiated from all conspecifics, and have probably been isolated for several hundred thousand years. Our finding is a powerful testimony to the evolutionary uniqueness of the taxa inhabiting the Galapagos archipelago and its associated marine ecosystems.

The endemic large carpenter bee, Xylocopa darwini Cockerell, was the only known bee pollinator to the Galapagos Archipelago but as early as 1964 locals also spoke of the "dwarf bee of Floreana". We report the presence of the wool carder bee, Anthidium vigintiduopunctatum Friese, on the island of Fl...

Introduces an inquiry-based lesson plan on evolution and the Galapagos Islands. Uses the 5E instructional model which includes phases of engagement, exploration, explanation, elaboration, and evaluation. Includes information on species for exploration and elaboration purposes, and a general rubric for student evaluation. (YDS)

An study of the Petrel Sub-basin (Bonaparte Basin) on Australia`s northwest margin has identified seven main phases of basin development spanning the Early Cambrian to Tertiary. Each phase was initiated and terminated by distinct, primarily tectonic events that have controlled the structural and stratigraphic evolution of the basin and the development of petroleum systems. These phases include periods of major extension (Early Cambrian, Middle Devonian to early Carboniferous) and compression (Early Devonian, mid-Triassic), as well as rapid and slow subsidence phases in the Early to Late Carboniferous and Late Carboniferous to Triassic, respectively. Basin inversion in the mid-Triassic has been critical in controlling the development of broad anticlinal features that presently reservoir the large, but as yet undeveloped gas/condensate fields Petrel and Tern. An earlier period of minor compression during the late Carboniferous initiated limited movement of Paleozoic salt within the deeper basin, forming salt-cored, low amplitude anticlines in the predominantly carbonate Tanmurra Formation, a play which remains untested. In the southern Petrel Sub-basin, early phases of hydrocarbon generation and fluid migration associated with salt movement are poorly understood. Preliminary results of geochemical studies indicate that there are at least two oil families in Devonian and Carboniferous reservoirs. This suggests multiple source intervals within the deeper flanks of the basin, thus the understanding of sedimentation during early basin phases may be critical in evaluating petroleum systems.

An study of the Petrel Sub-basin (Bonaparte Basin) on Australia's northwest margin has identified seven main phases of basin development spanning the Early Cambrian to Tertiary. Each phase was initiated and terminated by distinct, primarily tectonic events that have controlled the structural and stratigraphic evolution of the basin and the development of petroleum systems. These phases include periods of major extension (Early Cambrian, Middle Devonian to early Carboniferous) and compression (Early Devonian, mid-Triassic), as well as rapid and slow subsidence phases in the Early to Late Carboniferous and Late Carboniferous to Triassic, respectively. Basin inversion in the mid-Triassic has been critical in controlling the development of broad anticlinal features that presently reservoir the large, but as yet undeveloped gas/condensate fields Petrel and Tern. An earlier period of minor compression during the late Carboniferous initiated limited movement of Paleozoic salt within the deeper basin, forming salt-cored, low amplitude anticlines in the predominantly carbonate Tanmurra Formation, a play which remains untested. In the southern Petrel Sub-basin, early phases of hydrocarbon generation and fluid migration associated with salt movement are poorly understood. Preliminary results of geochemical studies indicate that there are at least two oil families in Devonian and Carboniferous reservoirs. This suggests multiple source intervals within the deeper flanks of the basin, thus the understanding of sedimentation during early basin phases may be critical in evaluating petroleum systems.

Initial results of paleomagnetic studies of basaltic lava flows from three islands, Isabela, Santa Cruz and Bartra, Galapagos archipielago, focusing on the rock magnetic analyses and preliminary paleointensity determinations, are presented. Remanent magnetizations are well defined and stable to thermal and AF demagnetization. Magnetic susceptibility, remanent magnetization, thermomagnetic curves and coercivity and unblocking temperature spectra are used to analyze magnetic mineralogy and sample selection for paleointensities. Relatively complex mineralogy shown in k-T curves appear correlated to quality in the Thellier- Thellier experiments. Galapagos Islands have formed from intense volcanic activity in the past few million years above the Galapagos hot spot in the Nazca plate, south of Galapagos spreading center. The archipielago consists of 15 islands and numerous islets and seamounts built on a large platform. Active volcanism occurs towards the west and islands get older to the east due to east-southeast Nazca plate motion. Sampling in Isabela concentrated in east and south flanks of Sierra Negra volcano, a structurally complex large caldera that represents the largest Galapagos volcano. Sampling sites are distributed along the shore west of Port Villamil and the east caldera flank with historic activity. Records show eleven eruptions from 1813 to 2005, which translates into intervals roughly from 4-37 yr with eruptions in 1963, 1979, and 2005. Lavas reaching Isabela coast are Late Pleistocene-Holocene. Sampling in Santa Cruz was done along NS transect from Las Bachas beach to Darwin Station and Punta Raton, including the Gemelos craters. Sampling in Bartra is in the southwest part of Salinas beach.

Background Plant invasions are causing habitat degradation in Galapagos. Problems are concentrated on the four inhabited islands. Plants introduced to rural areas in the humid highlands and urban areas on the arid coast act as foci for invasion of the surrounding Galapagos National Park. Methodology/Principal Findings Here we present results of the most comprehensive inventory to date of alien vascular plants in the inhabited areas of Galapagos. The survey was conducted between 2002 and 2007, in 6031 properties (97% of the total) on Floreana, Isabela, San Cristobal and Santa Cruz Islands. In total 754 alien vascular plant taxa were recorded, representing 468 genera in 123 families. Dicotyledons represented 554 taxa, monocotyledons 183, there were 7 gymnosperms and 10 pteridophytes. Almost half (363) of the taxa were herbaceous. The most represented families were Fabaceae (sensu lato), Asteraceae and Poaceae. The three most recorded species in the humid rural areas were Psidium guajava, Passiflora edulis and Bryophyllum pinnatum, and in the dry urban areas, Aloe vera, Portulaca oleracea and Carica papaya. In total, 264 (35%) taxa were recorded as naturalized. The most common use for taxa was ornamental (52%). Conclusions/Significance This extensive survey has increased the known alien vascular flora of Galapagos by 257 species, giving a ratio of alien to native taxa of 1.57∶1. It provides a crucial baseline for plant invasion management in the archipelago and contributes data for meta analyses of invasion processes worldwide. A repeat of the survey in the future would act as an effective early detection tool to help avoid further invasion of the Galapagos National Park. PMID:20421999

On March 11, 2011 at 5:46:23 UTC (March 10 11:46:23 PM Local Time, Galapagos), the magnitude 9.0 Mw Great East Japan Earthquake occurred near the Tohoku region off the east coast of Japan. The purpose of this presentation is to provide the results of a tsunami field survey in the Galapagos Islands performed by an International Tsunami Survey Team (ITST) with great assistance from INOCAR, the oceanographic service of the Ecuadorian Navy, and the Galapagos National Park. The Galapagos Islands are a volcanic chain composed of many islands of various sizes. The four largest islands are the focus of this survey, and are, from west to east, Isabela, Santiagio, Santa Cruz, and San Cristobal. Aside from approximately 10 sandy beaches that are open to tourists, all other shoreline locations are strictly off limits to anyone without a research permit. All access to the shoreline is coordinated through the Galapagos National Park, and any landing requires a chaperone, a Park Ranger. While a few of the visited areas in this survey were tourist sites, the vast majority were not. Due to time constraints and a generally inaccessibility of the coastline, the survey locations were strongly guided by numerical computations performed previous to the surveys. This numerical guidance accurately predicted the regions of highest impact, as well as regions of relatively low impact. Tide-corrected maximum flow elevations were generally in the range of 3-4 meters, while Isabela experienced the largest flow elevation of 6 m in a small pocket beach. The largest harbor in the Islands, Puerto Ayora, experienced moderate damage, with significant flooding and some structural damage. Currents in the Baltra Channel, a small waterway between Santa Cruz and Baltra, were strong enough to transport navigation buoys distances greater than 800 m. Extreme dune erosion, and the associated destruction of sea turtle nesting habit, was widespread and noted on all of the islands visited.

Hybridization in natural populations provides an opportunity to study the evolutionary processes that shape divergence and genetic isolation of species. The emergence of pre-mating barriers is often the precursor to complete reproductive isolation. However, in recently diverged species, pre-mating barriers may be incomplete, leading to hybridization between seemingly distinct taxa. Here we report results of a long-term study at Bird Island, South Georgia, of the extent of hybridization, mate fidelity, timing of breeding and breeding success in mixed and conspecific pairs of the sibling species, Macronectes halli (northern giant petrel) and M. giganteus (southern giant petrel). The proportion of mixed-species pairs varied annually from 0.4-2.4% (mean of 1.5%), and showed no linear trend with time. Mean laying date in mixed-species pairs tended to be later than in northern giant petrel, and always earlier than in southern giant petrel pairs, and their breeding success (15.6%) was lower than that of conspecific pairs. By comparison, mixed-species pairs at both Marion and Macquarie islands always failed before hatching. Histories of birds in mixed-species pairs at Bird Island were variable; some bred previously or subsequently with a conspecific partner, others subsequently with a different allospecific partner, and some mixed-species pairs remained together for multiple seasons. We also report the first verified back-crossing of a hybrid giant petrel with a female northern giant petrel. We discuss the potential causes and evolutionary consequences of hybridization and back-crossing in giant petrels and summarize the incidence of back-crossing in other seabird species. PMID:25815478

Hybridization in natural populations provides an opportunity to study the evolutionary processes that shape divergence and genetic isolation of species. The emergence of pre-mating barriers is often the precursor to complete reproductive isolation. However, in recently diverged species, pre-mating barriers may be incomplete, leading to hybridization between seemingly distinct taxa. Here we report results of a long-term study at Bird Island, South Georgia, of the extent of hybridization, mate fidelity, timing of breeding and breeding success in mixed and conspecific pairs of the sibling species, Macronectes halli (northern giant petrel) and M. giganteus (southern giant petrel). The proportion of mixed-species pairs varied annually from 0.4–2.4% (mean of 1.5%), and showed no linear trend with time. Mean laying date in mixed-species pairs tended to be later than in northern giant petrel, and always earlier than in southern giant petrel pairs, and their breeding success (15.6%) was lower than that of conspecific pairs. By comparison, mixed-species pairs at both Marion and Macquarie islands always failed before hatching. Histories of birds in mixed-species pairs at Bird Island were variable; some bred previously or subsequently with a conspecific partner, others subsequently with a different allospecific partner, and some mixed-species pairs remained together for multiple seasons. We also report the first verified back-crossing of a hybrid giant petrel with a female northern giant petrel. We discuss the potential causes and evolutionary consequences of hybridization and back-crossing in giant petrels and summarize the incidence of back-crossing in other seabird species. PMID:25815478

Oceanic archipelagos are vulnerable to natural introduction of parasites via migratory birds. Our aim was to characterize the geographic origins of two Plasmodium parasite lineages detected in the Galapagos Islands and in North American breeding bobolinks (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) that regularly stop in Galapagos during migration to their South American overwintering sites. We used samples from a grassland breeding bird assemblage in Nebraska, United States, and parasite DNA sequences from the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, to compare to global data in a DNA sequence registry. Homologous DNA sequences from parasites detected in bobolinks and more sedentary birds (e.g., brown-headed cowbirds Molothrus ater, and other co-occurring bird species resident on the North American breeding grounds) were compared to those recovered in previous studies from global sites. One parasite lineage that matched between Galapagos birds and the migratory bobolink, Plasmodium lineage B, was the most common lineage detected in the global MalAvi database, matching 49 sequences from unique host/site combinations, 41 of which were of South American origin. We did not detect lineage B in brown-headed cowbirds. The other Galapagos-bobolink match, Plasmodium lineage C, was identical to two other sequences from birds sampled in California. We detected a close variant of lineage C in brown-headed cowbirds. Taken together, this pattern suggests that bobolinks became infected with lineage B on the South American end of their migratory range, and with lineage C on the North American breeding grounds. Overall, we detected more parasite lineages in bobolinks than in cowbirds. Galapagos Plasmodium had similar host breadth compared to the non-Galapagos haemosporidian lineages detected in bobolinks, brown-headed cowbirds, and other grassland species. This study highlights the utility of global haemosporidian data in the context of migratory bird-parasite connectivity. It is possible that migratory bobolinks

Albatrosses and petrels (Procellariiformes) are migratory oceanic birds of considerable conservational interest. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) were assessed in the subcutaneous fat, liver and muscle of 100 birds belonging to eight species of Procellariiformes collected during their migration period in southern Brazil, one of the most important feeding areas for these species. Although the profiles of PCBs and OCPs were similar among the individuals, with predominance of penta, hexa and heptachlorobiphenyls and p'p-DDE, organochlorine concentrations exhibited a high degree of intra-species variability. The influence of body condition during the migration period in the distribution of organochlorine contaminants was also evaluated, showing that it is a significant factor in the variation and redistribution of these compounds in the tissues of these birds. The intense use of lipid reserves associated to the contamination from organochlorine compounds could be a troubling factor for seabirds with extended breeding periods and that spend most of their lives at sea migrating long distances, such as most of Procellariiformes. Studies on contamination are necessary to improve the knowledge of the threats to these birds and their populations as well as to contribute with information about persistent organic pollutants in the South Atlantic marine environment. PMID:22169209

Detailed geophysical surveys in the vicinity of the Galapagos 95.5 deg W propagating rift tip establish the opening history of the rift and its velocity of propagation. These data together with a theory for mantle upwelling into slowly widening lithospheric cracks constrain the viscosity of the asthenosphere beneath the propagating rift to be less than about 10 to the 17th to 10 to the 18th Pa s.

Despite evidence that some individuals achieve both superior reproductive performance and high survivorship, the factors underlying variation in individual quality are not well understood. The compensation and increased-intake hypotheses predict that basal metabolic rate (BMR) influences reproductive performance; if so, variation in BMR may be related to differences in individual quality. We evaluated whether BMR measured during the incubation period provides a proximate explanation for variation in individual quality by measuring the BMRs and reproductive performance of Leach's storm-petrels (Oceanodroma leucorhoa) breeding on Kent Island, New Brunswick, Canada, during 2000 and 2001. We statistically controlled for internal (body mass, breeding age, sex) and external (year, date, time of day) effects on BMR. We found that males with relatively low BMRs hatched their eggs earlier in the season and that their chicks' wing growth rates were faster compared to males with relatively high BMRs. Conversely, BMR was not related to egg volume, hatching date, or chick growth rate for females or to lifetime (???23 years) hatching success for either sex. Thus, for males but not for females, our results support the compensation hypothesis. This hypothesis predicts that animals with low BMRs will achieve better reproductive performance than animals with high BMRs because they have lower self-maintenance costs and therefore can apportion more energy to reproduction. These results provide evidence that intraspecific variation in reproductive performance is related to BMR and suggest that BMR may influence individual quality in males. ?? The Author 2005. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the International Society for Behavioral Ecology. All rights reserved.

Inclusion trails representing an S 1 cleavage demonstrate the lack of porphyroblast rotation during subsequent highly non-coaxial deformations. The pelitic schists of the Kanmantoo Group at Petrel Cove, South Australia contain two generations of porphyroblasts. The first one consists of cordierite porphyroblasts that formed early in D 2 and contain straight to slightly sigmoidal inclusion trails of S 1. The second generation consists of andalusite porphyroblasts that overgrew crenulated S 2 late during D 3. Several hundred inclusion trail traces from cordierites measured from oriented specimens taken throughout a strongly folded area show a horizontal great circle distribution when plotted and contoured on a stereographic projection. Hence, S 1 was planar and horizontal prior to D 2. S 1 measurements on limbs and hinges of a mesoscale D 2 foldpair show that folding had little effect on porphyroblast orientation as the S 1 orientation remained constant and subhorizontal around the fold. Hence, porphyroblasts have not rotated during any of the non-coaxial deformations accompanying and following their growth. This is interpreted as a result of the partitioning of the deformation around them. S 1 in the matrix has been totally destroyed by the formation of S 2 as a fully differentiated crenulation cleavage. What has previously been regarded as inconsistent senses of shear recorded by porphyroblasts around folds is resolved by the fact that the matrix foliation rotated rather than the porphyroblasts due to the effects of deformation partitioning. The presence of a subhorizontal S 1 foliation suggests horizontal movements (e.g. thrusting or detachment faulting) during the earliest phase of the Adelaidian orogeny.

On March 11, 2011 at 5:46:23 UTC (March 10 11:46:23 PM Galapagos Local Time), the Mw 9.0 Great East Japan Earthquake occurred near the Tohoku region off the east coast of Japan, spawning a Pacific-wide tsunami. Approximately 12,000 km away, the Galapagos Islands experienced moderate tsunami impacts, including flooding, structural damage, and strong currents. In this paper, we present observations and measurements of the tsunami effects in the Galapagos, focusing on the four largest islands in the archipelago; (from west to east) Isabela, Santiagio, Santa Cruz, and San Cristobal. Access to the tsunami affected areas was one of the largest challenges of the field survey. Aside from approximately ten sandy beaches open to tourists, all other shoreline locations are restricted to anyone without a research permit; open cooperation with the Galapagos National Park provided the survey team complete access to the Islands coastlines. Survey locations were guided by numerical simulations of the tsunami performed prior to the field work. This numerical guidance accurately predicted the regions of highest impact, as well as regions of relatively low impact. Tide-corrected maximum tsunami heights were generally in the range of 3-4 m with the highest runup of 6 m measured in a small pocket beach on Isla Isabela. Puerto Ayora, on Santa Cruz Island, the largest harbor in the Galapagos experienced significant flooding and damage to structures located at the shoreline. A current meter moored inside the harbor recorded relatively weak tsunami currents of less than 0.3 m/s (0.6 knot) during the event. Comparisons with detailed numerical simulations suggest that these low current speed observations are most likely the result of data averaging at 20-min intervals and that maximum instantaneous current speeds were considerably larger. Currents in the Canal de Itabaca, a natural waterway between Santa Cruz Island and a smaller island offshore, were strong enough to displace multiple 5

Patterns of colonization and diversification on islands provide valuable insights into evolutionary processes. Due to their unique geographic position and well known history, the Galapagos Islands are an important model system for evolutionary studies. Here we investigate the evolutionary history of a winged grasshopper genus to infer its origin and pattern of colonization in the Galapagos archipelago. The grasshopper genus Sphingonotus has radiated extensively in the Palaearctic and many species are endemic to islands. In the New World, the genus is largely replaced by the genus Trimerotropis. Oddly, in the Caribbean and on the Galapagos archipelago, two species of Sphingonotus are found, which has led to the suggestion that these might be the result of anthropogenic translocations from Europe. Here, we test this hypothesis using mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences from a broad sample of Sphingonotini and Trimerotropini species from the Old World and New World. The genetic data show two distinct genetic clusters representing the New World Trimerotropini and the Old World Sphingonotini. However, the Sphingonotus species from Galapagos and the Caribbean split basally within the Old World Sphingonotini lineage. The Galapagos and Caribbean species appear to be related to Old World taxa, but are not the result of recent anthropogenic translocations as revealed by divergence time estimates. Distinct genetic lineages occur on the four investigated Galapagos Islands, with deep splits among them compared to their relatives from the Palaearctic. A scenario of a past wider distribution of Sphingonotus in the New World with subsequent extinction on the mainland and replacement by Trimerotropis might explain the disjunct distribution. PMID:25692768

Patterns of colonization and diversification on islands provide valuable insights into evolutionary processes. Due to their unique geographic position and well known history, the Galapagos Islands are an important model system for evolutionary studies. Here we investigate the evolutionary history of a winged grasshopper genus to infer its origin and pattern of colonization in the Galapagos archipelago. The grasshopper genus Sphingonotus has radiated extensively in the Palaearctic and many species are endemic to islands. In the New World, the genus is largely replaced by the genus Trimerotropis. Oddly, in the Caribbean and on the Galapagos archipelago, two species of Sphingonotus are found, which has led to the suggestion that these might be the result of anthropogenic translocations from Europe. Here, we test this hypothesis using mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences from a broad sample of Sphingonotini and Trimerotropini species from the Old World and New World. The genetic data show two distinct genetic clusters representing the New World Trimerotropini and the Old World Sphingonotini. However, the Sphingonotus species from Galapagos and the Caribbean split basally within the Old World Sphingonotini lineage. The Galapagos and Caribbean species appear to be related to Old World taxa, but are not the result of recent anthropogenic translocations as revealed by divergence time estimates. Distinct genetic lineages occur on the four investigated Galapagos Islands, with deep splits among them compared to their relatives from the Palaearctic. A scenario of a past wider distribution of Sphingonotus in the New World with subsequent extinction on the mainland and replacement by Trimerotropis might explain the disjunct distribution. PMID:25692768

Haemosporidian parasites in the genus Plasmodium were recently detected through molecular screening in the Galapagos Penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus). We summarized results of an archipelago-wide screen of 3726 endemic birds representing 22 species for Plasmodium spp. through a combination of molecular and microscopy techniques. Three additional Plasmodium lineages were present in Galapagos. Lineage A-infected penguins, Yellow Warblers (Setophaga petechia aureola), and one Medium Ground Finch (Geospiza fortis) and was detected at multiple sites in multiple years [corrected]. The other 3 lineages were each detected at one site and at one time; apparently, they were transient infections of parasites not established on the archipelago. No gametocytes were found in blood smears of infected individuals; thus, endemic Galapagos birds may be dead-end hosts for these Plasmodium lineages. Determining when and how parasites and pathogens arrive in Galapagos is key to developing conservation strategies to prevent and mitigate the effects of introduced diseases. To assess the potential for Plasmodium parasites to arrive via migratory birds, we analyzed blood samples from 438 North American breeding Bobolinks (Dolichonyx oryzivorus), the only songbird that regularly migrates through Galapagos. Two of the ephemeral Plasmodium lineages (B and C) found in Galapagos birds matched parasite sequences from Bobolinks. Although this is not confirmation that Bobolinks are responsible for introducing these lineages, evidence points to higher potential arrival rates of avian pathogens than previously thought. Linajes Múltiples de Parásitos de Malaria Aviar (Plasmodium) en las Islas Galápagos y Evidencia de su Arribo por Medio de Aves Migratorias. PMID:24033638

The characterization of the seascape used by marine top predators provides a wide perspective of pelagic habitat use and it is necessary to understand the functioning of marine systems. The goal of this study was to characterize the oceanographic and biological features of marine areas used by adult and first year juvenile southern giant petrels (SGP, Macronectes giganteus) from northern Patagonian colonies (Isla Arce and Gran Robredo) during the austral fall and winter (2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008). The marine environment exploited by the SGP was characterized using sea surface temperature (SST), SST gradients, chlorophyll-a concentration, water depth, oceanographic regimes, and ocean surface winds. In addition, the biological seascape was defined by considering the distribution of squid during the months of study. Juveniles SGP exploited a wide range of environments focusing mainly on productive neritic waters using a variety of oceanographic regimes. Juveniles were exposed to eutrophic and enriched waters, probably because of the frequent presence of thermal fronts in their utilization areas. Adults' environments lacked of thermal fronts remaining the majority of their time within the oceanographic regime "Continental Shelf", in water depths of 100-200 m, exploiting mesotrophic and eutrophic environments, and remaining in areas of known food resources related to the presence of squid. For the most part, juveniles were exposed to westerly winds, which may have helped them in their initial flight to the shelf break, east of the colony. Wintering adults SGP also explored areas characterized by westerly winds but this did not play a primary role in the selection of their residence areas. Juveniles during their first year at sea have to search for food exploring a variety of unknown environments. During their search, they remained in productive environments associated to fronts and probably also associated to fisheries operating in their foraging areas. The

High-resolution lake cores from the Andes and Amazonian lowlands of W. South America and the Galapagos Islands provide new insights into the Holocene climate history of this region and its interactions with Pacific climate drivers. Our data reveal that a major drought event reported broadly from the Andes and Amazonia in the early to mid-Holocene is actually a complex series of droughts with wet interludes. These results suggest strong climatic instability prior to c. 5600 cal. yr BP. Establishment of wetter conditions at our Andean study site at c. 5600 cal. yr BP correspond to the start of Quinoa cultivation. A similar pattern of higher lake levels coinciding with the local spread of agriculture is also evident in the lowlands. Within an overall pattern of progressively wetter conditions over the last 4000 years there are periods of pronounced climatic instability (drought and flood). Fossil pollen, charcoal, sediment color, and carbon content identify periods of peak erosion between c. 900 and 1100 cal. yr BP. On the Galapagos Islands, a subdecadally resolved analysis of fossil pollen provides a striking pattern of climatic change and human-induced alteration of the landscape. Prior to the period of transforming human activity, the fossil pollen record contains a multidecadal oscillation, with wavlet analysis evealing a quasi- periodicty of c. 60 years. Andean pollen are readily identifible in the Galapagos record and transport of mainland pollen to the islands has varied markedly within the past millennium. These multiproxy records reveal the dynamic nature of Holocene climates in the tropics and the impact those changes have had on people and landscapes.

Fisheries bycatch is a significant marine conservation issue as valuable fish are wasted and protected species harmed with potential negative ecological and socio-economic consequences. Even though there are indications that the small-scale handline fishery of the Galapagos Marine Reserve has a low selectivity, information on its bycatch has never been published. We used onboard monitoring and interview data to assess the bycatch of the Galapagos handline fishery by estimating the bycatch ratio, determining species compositions of landings and bycatch, identifying fishers' reasons for discarding certain individuals, and revealing historical trends in the bycatch ratio. The estimated bycatch ratio as a function of biomass of 0.40 and a diverse species composition of target catch and bycatch confirmed the low selectivity of this fishery. Most individuals were not landed for economic motivations, either because species (77.4%) or sizes (17.7%) are unmarketable or for regulatory reasons (5.9%). We found that bycatch contributes to growth overfishing of some target species because they are discarded or used as bait before reaching their first maturity. Moreover, over half of interviewees perceived a historical decrease in bycatch ratios that was explained by a diversification of the target catch due to the reduction in abundance of the traditionally most important target species. As some target species show signs of overfishing and to date there are no specific regulations for the finfish fishery species in place, we recommend the implementation of a series of management measures to protect critical life stages of overexploited species and to improve the selectivity of the Galapagos handline fishery. PMID:26082874

Although the Galapagos are famous for their unique biodiversity, many groups of marine invertebrates from this isolated archipelago remain understudied or not investigated. One such group is the zoanthids (Order Zoantharia, =Zoanthidea, =Zoanthiniaria), anthozoans (Cnidaria) found in marine ecosystems worldwide. Zoanthid taxonomy has been in a state of disorganization and neglect due in large part to the morphological plasticity within species and questions about the accuracy of traditionally used morphological and ecological characteristics. However, recent studies utilizing molecular methodology combined with morphology have proven to be very useful in understanding zoanthid diversity. The results of a survey of zoanthids from the Galapagos and the east Pacific are reported in this study. Shallow water (<35 m) zoanthid specimens were identified using the molecular markers mitochondrial 16S ribosomal DNA (mt 16S rDNA), cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) gene, and the internal transcribed spacer of ribosomal DNA (ITS-rDNA). From the collected specimens seven putative zoanthid species-level clades from three known genera ( Zoanthus, Palythoa, Parazoanthus) were identified at the molecular level. These identifications were further supported by morphological and ecological data. While almost all specimens belonged to known zoanthid genera, based on unique molecular and ecological data one group of specimens (designated unknown zoanthid sp. “03-103”) is potentially a novel undescribed genus. Additionally, the remaining three azooxanthellate Parazoanthus clades may also be undescribed new species, but due to the overall lack of zoanthid research and descriptions from neighboring areas (East Pacific, west coast of South America) further research is needed to clearly ascertain this. Additionally, notes on the four observed nominal azooxanthellate zoanthid species and a key to all eight nominal (seven from known genera, one from a potentially new genus) shallow water

The Galapagos Archipelago consists of a series of volcanic islands located ~1,000 km west of South America that are thought to be the result of a mantle plume. The southeasternmost island, Espanola, is one of the smallest of the major islands, measuring only 7 by 14 km and reaching an elevation of 200 m. Espanola is also the oldest island in the chain, with K-Ar dates from 3.01 ± 0.11 to 3.31 ± 0.36 million years (Hall et al. 1983; White et al., 1993). The southern coast is defined by cliffs that exceed 100 m in height, made up of nearly flat-lying lavas that are each several meters thick. The northern coastline consists of lavas that dip gently toward the ocean from the highlands, as well as remnants of eroded cinder cones. Paleomagnetic measurements made in the field indicate that the western half of the island is reversely polarized, whereas most lavas measured across the eastern half are normally polarized. Major element analyses of samples from across the island indicate that fractional crystallization is the dominant process controlling chemical variations in Espanola lavas, suggesting a relatively long-lived magmatic plumbing system. Stratigraphically constrained chemical variations suggest the magma chamber may have experienced periodic replenishment by compositionally homogeneous primitive melts. Variable fluid-mobile trace element concentrations provide some evidence for contributions from ancient, recycled oceanic crust to the parental melts. Espanola lavas have more depleted Sr and Pb radiogenic isotope ratios than either Floreana or Fernandina, and lie on a mixing curve between the composition of the plume and that of the depleted upper mantle. Between ~3 and 8 Ma, the Galapagos Spreading Center was closer to the Galapagos plume than it is today. Given that Espanola was constructed during the same period, the depleted isotopic signatures suggest that plume-ridge interaction may have been a strong influence on the island's geochemical composition.

Fisheries bycatch is a significant marine conservation issue as valuable fish are wasted and protected species harmed with potential negative ecological and socio-economic consequences. Even though there are indications that the small-scale handline fishery of the Galapagos Marine Reserve has a low selectivity, information on its bycatch has never been published. We used onboard monitoring and interview data to assess the bycatch of the Galapagos handline fishery by estimating the bycatch ratio, determining species compositions of landings and bycatch, identifying fishers’ reasons for discarding certain individuals, and revealing historical trends in the bycatch ratio. The estimated bycatch ratio as a function of biomass of 0.40 and a diverse species composition of target catch and bycatch confirmed the low selectivity of this fishery. Most individuals were not landed for economic motivations, either because species (77.4%) or sizes (17.7%) are unmarketable or for regulatory reasons (5.9%). We found that bycatch contributes to growth overfishing of some target species because they are discarded or used as bait before reaching their first maturity. Moreover, over half of interviewees perceived a historical decrease in bycatch ratios that was explained by a diversification of the target catch due to the reduction in abundance of the traditionally most important target species. As some target species show signs of overfishing and to date there are no specific regulations for the finfish fishery species in place, we recommend the implementation of a series of management measures to protect critical life stages of overexploited species and to improve the selectivity of the Galapagos handline fishery. PMID:26082874

Animals must perform mechanical work during walking, but most conserve substantial mechanical energy via an inverted-pendulum-like mechanism of energy recovery in which fluctuations of kinetic energy (KE) and gravitational potential energy (GPE) are of similar magnitude and 180 degrees out of phase. The greatest energy recovery typically occurs at intermediate speeds. Tortoises are known for their slow speeds, which we anticipated would lead to small fluctuations in KE. To have an effective exchange of mechanical energy using the inverted-pendulum mechanism, tortoises would need to walk with only small changes in GPE corresponding to vertical center-of-mass (COM) fluctuations of < 0.5 mm. Thus, we hypothesized that giant Galapagos tortoises would not conserve substantial mechanical energy using the inverted-pendulum mechanism. We studied five adult giant Galapagos tortoises Geochelone elephantopus (mean mass=142 kg; range= 103-196 kg). Walking speed was extremely slow (0.16+/-0.052 m s(-1); mean +/- 1 s.d.). The fluctuations in kinetic energy (8.1+/-3.98 J stride(-1)) were only one-third as large as the fluctuations in gravitational potential energy (22.7+/-8.04 J stride(-1)). In addition, these energies fluctuated nearly randomly and were only sporadically out of phase. Because of the dissimilar amplitudes and inconsistent phase relationships of these energies, tortoises conserved little mechanical energy during steady walking, recovering only 29.8+/-3.77% of the mechanical energy (range=13-52%). Thus, giant Galapagos tortoises do not utilize effectively an inverted-pendulum mechanism of energy conservation. Nonetheless, the mass-specific external mechanical work required per distance (0.41+/-0.092 J kg(-1) m(-1)) was not different from most other legged animals. Other turtle species use less than half as much metabolic energy to walk as other terrestrial animals of similar mass. It is not yet known if Galapagos tortoises are economical walkers. Nevertheless

The authors report AMS [sup 14]C measurements on sub annual samples of coral from the Galapagos Islands that span the period, 1970-1973. Both the major 1972 El Nino/Southern Oscillation event and intra-annual changes in regional upwelling of [sup 14]C-depleted waters associated with alternation of surface-ocean current patterns are evident in the record. These data show that the corals preserve a detailed record of past intra-annual variations of the [sup 14]C content of surface ocean water.

A set of three algorithms named PET2OGS is developed to integrate the static model (Petrel) with the dynamic model (OpenGeoSys). PET2OGS consists of three sub-algorithms that convert finite difference methods (FDMs) grids to finite element methods (FEMs) grids. The algorithms and the workflow of the integration procedures are described in detail. After the proposed algorithms are tested on a variety of grids both in homogeneous and heterogeneous media, the integrated platform of the static and dynamic models is applied to model CO2 storage in a saline aquifer. A successful demonstration of the proposed algorithms proved a robust integration of the platform. With some minor modifications of the algorithms in the part of input and output, the proposed algorithms can be extended to integrate different combinations of FDM-based static models and FEM-based dynamic models beyond the example combination in the paper.

Species distribution models (SDMs) are increasingly applied in conservation management to predict suitable habitat for poorly known populations. High predictive performance of SDMs is evident in validations performed within the model calibration area (interpolation), but few studies have assessed SDM transferability to novel areas (extrapolation), particularly across large spatial scales or pelagic ecosystems. We performed rigorous SDM validation tests on distribution data from three populations of a long-ranging marine predator, the grey petrel Procellaria cinerea, to assess model transferability across the Southern Hemisphere (25-65°S). Oceanographic data were combined with tracks of grey petrels from two remote sub-Antarctic islands (Antipodes and Kerguelen) using boosted regression trees to generate three SDMs: one for each island population, and a combined model. The predictive performance of these models was assessed using withheld tracking data from within the model calibration areas (interpolation), and from a third population, Marion Island (extrapolation). Predictive performance was assessed using k-fold cross validation and point biserial correlation. The two population-specific SDMs included the same predictor variables and suggested birds responded to the same broad-scale oceanographic influences. However, all model validation tests, including of the combined model, determined strong interpolation but weak extrapolation capabilities. These results indicate that habitat use reflects both its availability and bird preferences, such that the realized distribution patterns differ for each population. The spatial predictions by the three SDMs were compared with tracking data and fishing effort to demonstrate the conservation pitfalls of extrapolating SDMs outside calibration regions. This exercise revealed that SDM predictions would have led to an underestimate of overlap with fishing effort and potentially misinformed bycatch mitigation efforts. Although

We conducted a capture-recapture study on the population size and trends of the Ashy Storm-petrel (Oceanodroma homochroa) on Southeast Farallon Island (SEFI), California, based upon data collected in 1971, 1972, and 1992. From March through August, birds were lured to fixed-site sampling locations using taped vocalization playback. Using program JOLLY, we estimated population size and evaluated statistical models using goodness-of-fit and Likelihood Ratio tests. On the southwestern slope of Lighthouse Hill, amidst prime breeding habitat, numbers of breeding birds decreased from 1,271 ?? 140 (?? ?? SE) in 1972 to 710 ?? 117 in 1992, a decline of 44% (approximate 95% CI = 22-66% decline; ?? = -2.8% per annum); for a variety of reasons, we consider this to be the most reliable indicator of population change. In 1971, on a portion of SEFI relatively disjunct from the sampling area in 1972, 2,131 ?? 322 breeding birds were estimated. To produce an overall early 1970s estimate with which to compare to 1992, we summed population estimates from 1971 and 1972. An overall value of 6,461 birds, of which 3,402 (53%) were breeders, was obtained for the early period. In 1992, the overall population in roughly the same area was estimated at 4,284 ?? 409 birds, of which 1,990 ?? 408 (46%) were presumed breeders. These results, encompassing peripheral as well as more centrally located storm-petrel habitat, indicate an overall population decline of 34% and a comparable decline in breeding birds of 42% over the past two decades. However, oceanographic conditions varied between 1971-1972 and 1992, and reduced food availability in 1992 may have influenced colony attendance and breeding effort. Nonetheless, the apparent population decline over the past 20 years suggests that the species warrants management and/or additional protective status.

Species distribution models (SDMs) are increasingly applied in conservation management to predict suitable habitat for poorly known populations. High predictive performance of SDMs is evident in validations performed within the model calibration area (interpolation), but few studies have assessed SDM transferability to novel areas (extrapolation), particularly across large spatial scales or pelagic ecosystems. We performed rigorous SDM validation tests on distribution data from three populations of a long-ranging marine predator, the grey petrel Procellaria cinerea, to assess model transferability across the Southern Hemisphere (25-65°S). Oceanographic data were combined with tracks of grey petrels from two remote sub-Antarctic islands (Antipodes and Kerguelen) using boosted regression trees to generate three SDMs: one for each island population, and a combined model. The predictive performance of these models was assessed using withheld tracking data from within the model calibration areas (interpolation), and from a third population, Marion Island (extrapolation). Predictive performance was assessed using k-fold cross validation and point biserial correlation. The two population-specific SDMs included the same predictor variables and suggested birds responded to the same broad-scale oceanographic influences. However, all model validation tests, including of the combined model, determined strong interpolation but weak extrapolation capabilities. These results indicate that habitat use reflects both its availability and bird preferences, such that the realized distribution patterns differ for each population. The spatial predictions by the three SDMs were compared with tracking data and fishing effort to demonstrate the conservation pitfalls of extrapolating SDMs outside calibration regions. This exercise revealed that SDM predictions would have led to an underestimate of overlap with fishing effort and potentially misinformed bycatch mitigation efforts. Although

As part of an island-wide project to identify and eradicate potentially invasive plant species before they become established, a program of inventories is being carried out in the urban and agricultural zones of the four inhabited islands in Galapagos. This study reports the results of the inventory from Puerto Villamil, a coastal village representing the urban zone of Isabela Island. We visited all 1193 village properties to record the presence of the introduced plants. In addition, information was collected from half of the properties to determine evidence for potential invasiveness of the plant species. We recorded 261 vascular taxa, 13 of which were new records for Galapagos. Most of the species were intentionally grown (cultivated) (73.3%) and used principally as ornamentals. The most frequent taxa we encountered were Cocos nucifera (coconut tree) (22.1%) as a cultivated plant and Paspalum vaginatum (salt water couch) (13.2%) as a non cultivated plant. In addition 39 taxa were naturalized. On the basis of the invasiveness study, we recommend five species for eradication (Abutilon dianthum, Datura inoxia, Datura metel, Senna alata and Solanum capsicoides), one species for hybridization studies (Opuntia ficus-indica) and three species for control (Furcraea hexapetala, Leucaena leucocephala and Paspalum vaginatum). PMID:17940606

Hydrothermal vent communities must undergo substantial temporal change because of their dynamic physical milieu. This was verified in March 1985, when the Rose Garden hydrothermal vent on the Galapagos Rift was revisited after 5 1/4 years' absence. Comparison of photographs from the two visits revealed considerable faunal change. Among the hosts to chemoautotrophic bacteria, vestimentiferans were reduced from dominance to very low numbers. The mytilid was now extremely abundant and dominated vent openings. Vesicomyids also were more abundant. In general, vent-field suspension feeders had declined; anemones were distinctly less abundant, and siphonophores and enteropneusts were virtually absent. The decline of serpulids was likely, but less obvious. Of the mobile scavengers and carnivores, both galatheids and whelks were distincly more common. These community changes appear to result from both continuing recruitment and changes in the physical milieu. While the growth of some populations could have resulted from expanding opportunities, the population of at least one, the vesicomyid, had not achieved carrying capacity in 1979, and this could have pertained to others as well. The decrease of vestimentiferans may have been caused by declining vent-water flux, a process that would favor mytilids, or more complete vent-water filtration by the mytilids themselves. The same factors also could explain the reduction of vent-field filter feeders. These observations suggest that early stages in the cycle of Galapagos-type vent communities are likely to be dominated by vestimentiferans, but that bivalves will replace them with time.

Dog overpopulation and diseases are hazards to native island species and humans on the Galapagos. Vaccination and importation of dogs are prohibited on the Galapagos. Risk management of these hazards requires the use of science-based risk assessment and risk communication. The objectives of the study reported here were (i) to estimate the human:dog ratio and (ii) the prevalence of and identify exposure factors associated with positive antibody titers to canine distemper virus (CDV) and other pathogens, as well as infection with intestinal parasites in owned dogs on Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos in September 2014. The observed human:dog ratio was 6.148:1 which extrapolates to 2503 dogs (two times more than a recent dog count conducted by Galapagos Biosecurity Agency in March 2014). The proportion of spayed female dogs (50%) was higher, compared to neutered male dogs (30%) (p=0.04). Prevalence of dogs with positive antibody titers to CDV was 36% (95% CI=26, 46%), to canine parvovirus was 89% (95% CI=82, 95%), and to canine adenovirus was 40% (95% CI=30, 51%). The frequency of seropositive dogs to CDV was lower in urban dogs (26%), compared to rural dogs (53%) (p<0.05). A positive interaction effect between rural residence and spay/neuter status on seropositivity to CDV was observed, which we discuss in this report. Because vaccination is prohibited, the dog population on Santa Cruz is susceptible to an outbreak of CDV (particularly among urban dogs) with potential spill over to marine mammals. Dog's age (1-2 or 3-14 years old, compared to younger dogs), and residence (rural, urban) were associated with positive antibody titers to parvovirus, adenovirus, Ehrlichia spp., or Anaplasma spp., as well as infection with Ancylostoma spp., an intestinal parasite in dogs that can be transmitted to humans, particularly children. These results provide the most comprehensive assessment of dog overpopulation and exposure to CDV and other pathogens on the Galapagos to date. PMID

For over 25 years, hydrothermal vent communities discovered at the Galapagos Rift near 86°W [e.g., Corliss et al., 1979] have provided the foundation of deep-sea vent biology as their study has led to fundamental discoveries of chemoautorophy and novel symbioses in the deep sea [e.g., Cavanaugh et al., 1981]. Since 1979, numerous physiological and geochemical investigations of the Rose Garden vent community [e.g.,Hessler et al., 1988] have been made possible through routine access to this deep sea floor site, provided by the deep submergence vehicle Alvin. This research revolutionized our understanding of basic biological and chemical processes in the deep ocean [e.g. Johnson et al., 1988; Edmond et al., 1979].In May-June 2002, a sea floor sampling and near-bottom mapping program was conducted using R/V Atlantis (AT7-13),the submersible Alvin, and the autonomous underwater vehicle ABE (Autonomous Benthic Explorer) [Yoerger et al., 1998] to explore and study hydrothermal processes along the Galapagos Spreading Center (GSC) between 86°W and 90°W (Figure 1). This 12-day expedition coincided with the 25th anniversary of the discovery of deep-sea hydrothermal vents at the Galapagos Rift (http://wwwdivediscover.whoi.edu; Expedition 6). It included a planned revisit of the Rose Garden vent field to conduct multidisciplinary time-series observations and sampling that would represent a quarter-century perspective at this longest-studied, active hydrothermal vent field. The fieldwork resulted in the discovery of important geological, hydrothermal, and biological changes that have occurred at the Rose Garden site. During the first few Alvin dives of the cruise, it was discovered that the well-developed faunal communities last documented 13 years ago at Rose Garden were apparently buried by fresh basaltic sheet flows. Notable was the absence of 14 sea floor markers used for past experiments and 7 stacks of Alvin dive weights observed on dive 2224.

One of the best locations to study hotspot-ridge interactions is the Northern Galápagos Province (NGP), the region that lies between the Galapagos Spreading Center (GSC) and the central portion of the Galapagos Archipelago. The Galapagos hotspot is currently located off-axis from the GSC but still has a profound influence on the ridge in terms of axial lava composition and ridge bathymetry. The NGP is characterized by an array of volcanic lineaments that are composed of seamounts and five small islands. The eastern edge of the NGP is defined by a group of at least five seamounts (the Northeast Seamounts), three of which were mapped and dredged in 1990 during Leg 2 of the PLUME expedition of the R/V Thomas Washington. We report petrological and geochemical data from the basalts recovered at six dredge sites. All basalts are tholeiitic with a general MORB-like composition, but with considerable variation within some individual dredge hauls and between seamounts. Previously published isotopic data are limited but 3He/4He ratios (Graham et al. 1993) and Sr-Nd-Pb isotopic data (Harpp and White 2000) are consistent with a depleted mantle source for all three seamounts. Based on geochemistry and petrological observations, the basalts can be divided into at least thirteen distinct groups. The bulk of the analyzed glass samples have compositions more than MORB with MgO content of 8-10% wt., although two of the groups are in the 6-7% range. In addition, the primitive lavas have high CaO and Al2O3 . The mineralogy ranges from aphyric for the more evolved lavas to olivine + plagioclase-phyric or plagioclase ultraphyric for the more primitive basalts. The plagioclase appear to be very calcic (up to An91) xenocrysts that are often hosting aluminous spinel (Al2O3 46-48% wt.) and primitive melt inclusions (Sinton et al., 1993). Initial trace element data show light rare earth (LREE)-depleted signatures, although several samples are slightly enriched in the LREE. Taken together

Santa Cruz Island is a part of a system of inactive volcanoes in the Galapagos Archipelago that have drifted downstream from the hotspot center in the last 2 Ma. With a large number of densely populated volcanic islands in the Pacific Ocean, the need to understand factors affecting the stability of these volcanic edifices as they age is paramount to understanding their evolution as well as predicting the safety of their populations. Santa Cruz Island is crosscut by a series of faults and landslide scarps whose origins are unknown. The town of Puerto Ayora, the primary population center of the Galapagos, is located in a graben between two of the largest faults. The major airport, on neighboring Baltra Island, is also located among a series of fault blocks. Broad-scale fault mapping has been performed using satellite imagery and a digital elevation model, documenting fault length and orientation on the island. These data are supplemented by along-scarp and cross-scarp transects using kinematic GPS, opening vectors, and dilation magnitudes along fissures. With these measurements, we determine fault scarp height and the attitudes of fault-related folds. Cross cutting relationships between faults and juxtaposed volcanic flows will be used to determine time-averaged slip rates and reconstruct a chronology of deformation on the island. Faults and fault-related folds on Santa Cruz differ between the northern and southern parts of the island, with intermittent graben-forming fault networks distributed across the southern flank of the island and a possible ~8 km long sector collapse fault scar on the north flank. The latter scarp formed parallel to the axis of rifting along the Galapagos Spreading Center, located directly to the north of the archipelago. We have identified 418 fault segments on the southern section of the island. They have a mean azimuthal orientation of 085 degrees and exhibit bimodal distribution with principal modes at 070 and 100 degrees. The graben at

During continental extension, the kinematic collapse of the hangingwall of major normal faults and the subsequent isostatic response imposes a strong control on the evolving basin geometry. The interaction of the flexural wavelength. and the magnitude and location of faults may allow the development of basin geometries which deviate from a classic half-graben style, particularly if some of this deformation is below the scale of observation (commonly seismic reflection data). In particular the development of a lateral partitioning between large- and small-scale faults within a basin may exert a significant control on the resulting basin geometry. Using the Petrel Sub-basin in northwest Australia as an example, it is demonstrated that an extensional basin geometry consisting of a classic half-graben can be overprinted by a significant 'sag' geometry which can be related to the lateral offset of sub-resolution faulting. This lateral partitioning and resulting basin geometry may also have an application to other extensional basins, particularly if a mechanism is present to allow this partitioning of fault styles to develop. In the Petrel Sub-basin this has been related to the presence of older basement features of the Halls Creek Mobile Zone beneath the axis of the basin. However, a comparison with physical models also suggests that this may be applicable to basins formed by oblique rifting (a component of which may also be present within the Petrel Sub-basin), particularly if this is imposed upon a weak zone or suture within the upper mantle.

The purpose of this study was to explore whether cancer patients, who are actively receiving cancer therapy and who sometimes have only a few months to live, have anxieties or concerns that arise as a result of not being able to care for their pets during their illness or after their demise. A survey was developed and utilized among such patients to assess whether they had pet-related concerns and anxieties and to determine whether they desired more information on available pet-related resources. Three hundred nine patients completed the survey, and 170 (55%) had a pet(s). The majority described that their pets helped them during their cancer. Only 4% of all patients and 7% of the pet owners desired more information on community resources for pet care, and 80% of pet owners had family members who were already helping them with pet care. Cancer patients appear to benefit from their pets and report few pet-related concerns. Healthcare providers at other medical centers should consider determining whether their patients have needs and anxieties related to caring for their pets and whether educational efforts should be put forth to focus on such issues. PMID:20180089

In this paper we describe the ectoparasitic lice (Insecta: Phthiraptera) found on 5 species of seabirds (magnificent frigatebird Fregata magnificens; great frigatebird Fregata minor ; Nazca booby Sula granti ; blue-footed booby Sula nebouxii ; and red-footed booby Sula sula ) on the Galapagos Archipelago. We found 9 species of ectoparasitic lice: 5 species of Pectinopygus ischnocerans, 1 infesting each host; 2 species of Colpocephalum amblyceran lice, 1 on each frigatebird species; and 2 shared amblycerans, Eidmanniella albescens (Piaget, 1880) found on Nazca and blue-footed boobies and Fregatiella aurifasciata (Kellogg, 1899) found on the 2 frigatebirds. We tested the relative importance and interactions of host sex, body size, host, island, host family, and breeding status and found that inter-island differences were the main predictors of prevalence and infestation intensity. These differences could be related to host density or weather, but further evidence is needed. PMID:24911632

The green turtle, Chelonia mydas, is an endangered marine chelonian with a circum-global distribution. Reference blood parameter intervals have been published for some chelonian species, but baseline hematology, biochemical, and blood gas values are lacking from the Galapagos sea turtles. Analyses were done on blood samples drawn from 28 green turtles captured in two foraging locations on San Cristóbal Island (14 from each site). Of these turtles, 20 were immature and of unknown sex; the other eight were males (five mature, three immature). A portable blood analyzer (iSTAT) was used to obtain near immediate field results for pH, lactate, pO2, pCO2, HCO3−, Hct, Hb, Na, K, iCa, and Glu. Parameter values affected by temperature were corrected in two ways: (1) with standard formulas; and (2) with auto-corrections made by the iSTAT. The two methods yielded clinically equivalent results. Standard laboratory hematology techniques were employed for the red and white blood cell counts and the hematocrit determination, which was also compared to the hematocrit values generated by the iSTAT. Of all blood analytes, only lactate concentrations were positively correlated with body size. All other values showed no significant difference between the two sample locations nor were they correlated with body size or internal temperature. For hematocrit count, the iSTAT blood analyzer yielded results indistinguishable from those obtained with high-speed centrifugation. The values reported in this study provide baseline data that may be useful in comparisons among populations and in detecting changes in health status among Galapagos sea turtles. The findings might also be helpful in future efforts to demonstrate associations between specific biochemical parameters and disease. PMID:24824065

The Galapagos triple junction is not a simple ridge-ridge-ridge (RRR) triple junction. The Cocos-Nazca Rift (C-N Rift) tip does not meet the East Pacific Rise (EPR). Instead, two secondary rifts form the link: Incipient Rift at 2°40‧N and Dietz Deep volcanic ridge, the southern boundary of the Galapagos microplate (GMP), at 1°10‧N. Recently collected bathymetry data are used to investigate the regional tectonics prior to the establishment of the GMP (∼1.5 Ma). South of C-N Rift a band of northeast-trending cracks cuts EPR-generated abyssal hills. It is a mirror image of a band of cracks previously identified north of C-N Rift on the same age crust. In both areas, the western ends of the cracks terminate against intact abyssal hills suggesting that each crack initiated at the EPR spreading center and cut eastward into pre-existing topography. Each crack formed a short-lived triple junction until it was abandoned and a new crack and triple junction initiated nearby. Between 2.5 and 1.5 Ma, the pattern of cracking is remarkably symmetric about C-N Rift providing support for a crack interaction model in which crack initiation at the EPR axis is controlled by stresses associated with the tip of the westward-propagating C-N Rift. The model also shows that offsets of the EPR axis may explain times when cracking is not symmetric. South of C-N Rift, cracks are observed on seafloor as old as 10.5 Ma suggesting that this triple junction has not been a simple RRR triple junction during that time.

Introduced disease has been implicated in recent wildlife extinctions and population declines worldwide. Both anthropogenic-induced change and natural environmental features can affect pathogen spread. Furthermore, environmental disturbance can result in changes in stress physiology, nutrition, and social structure, which in turn can suppress immune system function. However, it remains unknown whether landscape variation results in heterogeneity in host resistance to pathogens. Avian pox virus, a pathogen implicated in avian declines and extinctions in Hawaii, was introduced to the Galapagos in the 1890 s, and prevalence (total number of current infections) has increased recently in finches. We tested whether prevalence and recovery trends in 7 species of Galapagos finches varied by elevation or human land use. To do so, we used infection data obtained from 545 wild-caught birds. In addition, we determined whether annual changes in 4 aspects of innate immune function (complement protein activity, natural antibody activity, concentration of PIT54 protein, and heterophil:lymphocyte ratio) varied by elevation or land use. Prevalence and recovery rates did not vary by elevation from 2008 to 2009. Avian pox prevalence and proportion of recovered individuals in undeveloped and urban areas did not change from 2008 to 2009. In agricultural areas, avian pox prevalence increased 8-fold (from 2% to 17% of 234 individuals sampled) and proportion of recovered individuals increased (11% to 19%) from 2008 to 2009. These results suggest high disease-related mortality. Variation in immune function across human land-use types correlated with variation in both increased prevalence and susceptibility, which indicates changes in innate immune function may underlie changes in disease susceptibility. Our results suggest anthropogenic disturbance, in particular agricultural practices, may underlie immunological changes in host species that themselves contribute to pathogen emergence. PMID

The Galapagos Fossil Hydrothermal Field is composed of altered oceanic crust and extinct hydrothermal vents within the eastern Galapagos Rift between 85{degree}49 feet W and 85{degree} 55 feet W. The discharge zone of the hydrothermal system is revealed along scarps, thus providing an opportunity to examine the uppermost mineralized, and highly altered interior parts of the crust. Altered rocks collected in situ by the submersible ALVIN show complex concentric alteration zones. Microsamples of individual zones have been analysed for major/minor, trace elements, and strontium isotopes in order to describe the complex compositional details of the hydrothermal alteration. Interlayered chlorite-smectite and chlorite with disequilibrium compositions dominate the secondary mineralogy as replacement phases of primary glass and acicular pyroxene. Phenocrysts and matrix grains of plagioclase are unaffected during alteration. Using a modification of the Gresens` equation we demonstrate that the trivalent rare earth elements (REEs) are relatively immobile, and calculate degrees of enrichment and depletion in other elements. Strontium isotopic ratios increase as Sr concentrations decrease from least-altered cores to most-altered rims and cross-cutting veins in individual samples, and can be modeled by open system behaviour under low fluid-rock ratio (<10) conditions following a period of lower-temperature weathering of volcanics within the rift zone. The complex patterns of element enrichment and depletion and strontium isotope variations indicate mixing between pristine seawater and ascending hot fluids to produce a compositional spectrum of fluids. If, as suggested here, the discharge zone alteration occurred under relatively low fluid-rock ratios, then this shallow region must play an important role in determining the exit composition of vent fluids in marine hydrothermal systems. 50 refs., 10 figs., 4 tabs.

The authors report trace element/calcium ratios for modern (Cu/Ca, Mn/Ca, Cd/Ca and Pb/Ca) and seventeenth-century (Cu/Ca, Mn/Ca, and Pb/Ca) specimens of Pavona clavus collected in the Galapagos Islands. These data include the first reliable measurements of Cu/Ca ratios in coralline aragonite. They estimate that the ratio of Cu/Ca in the lattice to that in seawater (i.e., the effective distribution coefficient) is {approx} 0.3, lower than the value of 1 observed for several other divalent elements; they estimate the effective distribution coefficient for Mn is {approx} 1. Distribution coefficients in coral aragonite for 8 divalent metals are near unity despite different ionic radii and chemical speciation in seawater. In a modern Hood Island coral, quarter-annually sampled from 1964-73, Cu/Ca ratios decrease twofold from the late 1960s to early 1970s. Mn/Ca and Cd/Ca ratios vary seasonally with upwelling and the generic El Nino. The El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events of 1965, 1969, and 1972 are marked by suppression of Cd/Ca ratios by about 2.5 nmol/mol, while the Mn/Ca ratio is highest during the strong 1972 ENSO. Pb/Ca ratios were relatively constant throughout this period. From the Cu/Ca record of a seventeenth-century Urvina Bay coral annually sampled from 1600-1725 and the estimated Cu distribution coefficient, surface seawater Cu concentrations at Galapagos during the seventeenth century were similar to present day at 0.7-1.4 nmol/kg. Estimated Pb concentrations were lower at 5-20 pmol/kg, and Mn concentrations were slightly higher at 1.6-2.8 nmol/kg.

The Nazca and Cocos plates include several blocks of thickened oceanci crust thought to have originated from the interaction between the Galapagos hotspot and the Cocos- Nazca spreading center during the last 20 Ma. The most prominent are the Cocos, Malpelo, and Carnegie Ridges. In this work we compare the crustal seismic structure of these ridges along five wide-angle profiles acquired during the PAGANINI-1999 and SALIERI-2001 experiments. Two of these profiles are located on the Cocos Ridge and another one in Malpelo. The last two profiles (Carnegie Ridge) are in the conjugate positions with Malpelo (at~20 Ma) and southern Cocos (at~12 Ma). The results show that maximum crustal thickness along these profiles is highly vari- able, ranging from 19-20 km in northern Cocos, Malpelo, and its conjugate position, to 16.5 km in southern Cocos and only 13 km in its conjugate position. Oceanic Layer 2 thickness is quite uniform regardless of total crustal thickness variations, and thus crustal thickening is mainly accomodated in Layer 3. The mean seismic velocities of Layer 3 are similar in all profiles, and generally lower where the crust is the thick- est. This leads to an overall anticorrelation between crustal thickness and bulk lower crustal velocities. These observations suggest, on one hand, the existence of important variations on the Galapagos hotspot activity and on its relative location with respect to the spreading center. At 20 Ma, the hotspot-ridge system would be dominated by a vig- orous on-ridge magmatic activity, while at 12 Ma it would show a significantly lower, off-ridge centered activity. On the other hand, the obtained velocity-thickness rela- tionship differs from that expected for a crust generated by decompression melting of an abnormally hot mantle. We suggest that other parameters such as active upwelling, or variations in water content and/or composition of the mantle source must be taken into account.

The Galapagos Fossil Hydrothermal Field is composed of altered oceanic crust and extinct hydrothermal vents within the eastern Galapagos Rift between 85??49???W and 85??55???W. The discharge zone of the hydrothermal system is revealed along scarps, thus providing an opportunity to examine the uppermost mineralized, and highly altered interior parts of the crust. Altered rocks collected in situ by the submersible ALVIN show complex concentric alteration zones. Microsamples of individual zones have been analysed for major/minor, trace elements, and strontium isotopes in order to describe the complex compositional details of the hydrothermal alteration. Interlayered chlorite-smectite and chlorite with disequilibrium compositions dominate the secondary mineralogy as replacement phases of primary glass and acicular pyroxene. Phenocrysts and matrix grains of plagioclase are unaffected during alteration. Using a modification of the Gresens' equation we demonstrate that the trivalent rare earth elements (REEs) are relatively immobile, and calculate degrees of enrichment and depletion in other elements. Strontium isotopic ratios increase as Sr concentrations decrease from least-altered cores to most-altered rims and cross-cutting veins in individual samples, and can be modeled by open system behaviour under low fluid-rock ratio (< 10) conditions following a period of lower-temperature weathering of volcanics within the rift zone. The complex patterns of element enrichment and depletion and strontium isotope variations indicate mixing between pristine seawater and ascending hot fluids to produce a compositional spectrum of fluids. The precipitation of base-metal sulfides beneath the seafloor is probably a result of fluid mixing and cooling. If, as suggested here, the discharge zone alteration occurred under relatively low fluid-rock ratios, then this shallow region must play an important role in determining the exit composition of vent fluids in marine hydrothermal systems

The taxonomy of giant Galapagos tortoises (Chelonoidis spp.) is currently based primarily on morphological characters and island of origin. Over the last decade, compelling genetic evidence has accumulated for multiple independent evolutionary lineages, spurring the need for taxonomic revision. On the island of Santa Cruz there is currently a single named species, C. porteri. Recent genetic and morphological studies have shown that, within this taxon, there are two evolutionarily and spatially distinct lineages on the western and eastern sectors of the island, known as the Reserva and Cerro Fatal populations, respectively. Analyses of DNA from natural populations and museum specimens, including the type specimen for C. porteri, confirm the genetic distinctiveness of these two lineages and support elevation of the Cerro Fatal tortoises to the rank of species. In this paper, we identify DNA characters that define this new species, and infer evolutionary relationships relative to other species of Galapagos tortoises. PMID:26488886

An incidental observation of the fly Philornis downsi parasitizing a Galapagos Flycatcher (Myiarchus magnirostris) nest has revealed new insights into the searching behavior and biology of this invasive fly parasite and its interactions with endemic landbirds in the Galapagos Islands. Observations suggest that P. downsi relies on olfactory cues, or olfactory cues combined with the activity of adult birds, to locate nests and that flies continue to visit nests when chicks are >3 d old. At least 200 eggs were laid by P. downsi in different parts of the nest and >40 early-instar larvae were found inside the head of one chick, with additional larvae found in the base of the nest. Parasitism was the likely cause of mortality of both chicks found in or near the nest. This description of P. downsi parasitizing chicks of M. magnirostris highlights the vulnerability of this endemic bird species to this invasive fly. PMID:26267462

The taxonomy of giant Galapagos tortoises (Chelonoidis spp.) is currently based primarily on morphological characters and island of origin. Over the last decade, compelling genetic evidence has accumulated for multiple independent evolutionary lineages, spurring the need for taxonomic revision. On the island of Santa Cruz there is currently a single named species, C. porteri. Recent genetic and morphological studies have shown that, within this taxon, there are two evolutionarily and spatially distinct lineages on the western and eastern sectors of the island, known as the Reserva and Cerro Fatal populations, respectively. Analyses of DNA from natural populations and museum specimens, including the type specimen for C. porteri, confirm the genetic distinctiveness of these two lineages and support elevation of the Cerro Fatal tortoises to the rank of species. In this paper, we identify DNA characters that define this new species, and infer evolutionary relationships relative to other species of Galapagos tortoises. PMID:26488886

Originally from Asia, Rubus niveus has become one of the most widespread invasive plant species in the Galapagos Islands. It has invaded open vegetation, shrubland and forest alike. It forms dense thickets up to 4 m high, appearing to displace native vegetation, and threaten the integrity of several native communities. This study used correlation analysis between a R. niveus cover gradient and a number of biotic (vascular plant species richness, cover and vegetation structure) and abiotic (light and soil properties) parameters to help understand possible impacts in one of the last remaining fragments of the Scalesia forest in Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos. Higher cover of R. niveus was associated with significantly lower native species richness and cover, and a different forest structure. Results illustrated that 60% R. niveus cover could be considered a threshold for these impacts. We suggest that a maximum of 40% R. niveus cover could be a suitable management target. PMID:23118934

Lidocaine intrathecal anaesthesia was used to perform phallectomies in 15 hybrid Galapagos tortoises (Geochelone nigra) in a field setting as part of a conservation and ecosystem restoration project in the Galapagos Islands. The intrathecal injection was performed in the dorsal intercoccygeal region of the tail. Once the tail and hindlimbs were relaxed and the phallus was easily exteriorised, phallectomy was performed in a routine manner. All the animals recovered well from the procedure and were walking 30 to 60 minutes after surgery. No adverse effects were noted as a result of lidocaine intrathecal anaesthesia. One of the larger animals had evidence of haemorrhage from the surgical site 48 hours postoperatively. All tortoises continued to make full recoveries and were released on to the island of Pinta in May 2010. PMID:21257586

Originally from Asia, Rubus niveus has become one of the most widespread invasive plant species in the Galapagos Islands. It has invaded open vegetation, shrubland and forest alike. It forms dense thickets up to 4 m high, appearing to displace native vegetation, and threaten the integrity of several native communities. This study used correlation analysis between a R. niveus cover gradient and a number of biotic (vascular plant species richness, cover and vegetation structure) and abiotic (light and soil properties) parameters to help understand possible impacts in one of the last remaining fragments of the Scalesia forest in Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos. Higher cover of R. niveus was associated with significantly lower native species richness and cover, and a different forest structure. Results illustrated that 60% R. niveus cover could be considered a threshold for these impacts. We suggest that a maximum of 40% R. niveus cover could be a suitable management target. PMID:23118934

Worldwide, pristine environments are influenced by human societies. In the Galapagos Islands, the endangered, endemic Galapagos sea lion (Zalophus wollebaeki) has formed one of the biggest colonies within the town center of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. About 8,000 people live there and human wildlife interactions occur daily. With colony counts and direct observations from 2008 to 2012, we analyze cause of death, injuries and disease of urban sea lion colonies at Wreck Bay. Population increase since 2008 can be attributed to an immigration of adult sea lions in 2010, resulting in an increase in the pup and juvenile production in 2011 and 2012. Pup mortality increased drastically to 2009 and again in 2011 and 2012. Besides pup mortality, most of the deaths are caused by increased disease incidences and human activity. Our observations suggest that overall 65% of the injuries observed are produced by human interaction. The increase in threats leading to death, injuries or disease can have long-term effects on the population. Although threats that cause physical injuries can be managed locally, sea lions range movements contributes to the spread of infectious pathogens, which may affect neighbor colonies and potentially have an impact on the survival of the species. Our study reveals the need of stronger efforts towards a more complete understanding of threats and especially disease spread among Galapagos Sea lions in urban environments and the establishment of more effective management measures.

To study habitat use and at-sea movements of southern giant petrels (SGP) during non-breeding period, we deployed 15 satellite transmitters (six adults, nine juveniles) at Isla Arce and Isla Gran Robredo colonies in Patagonia, Argentina. Birds were instrumented during 81.4 ± 37 days. Adult birds used 74% of the Argentine shelf concentrating mainly at the shelf break, middle shelf waters, and the surroundings of the colony. After fledging, juveniles spread to the Argentine, Uruguayan and Brazilian shelves within the South Atlantic. Adults alternated at-sea excursions (12 ± 5 days) with periods at the colony of 3 ± 0.3 days. Contrarily, juveniles moved first to the shelf break and then traveled northwards reaching the south of Brazil. There was some spatial overlap between age classes, but only during the first 30 days after juveniles had fledged; thereafter there was not overlap between the areas used by both age classes. The Argentine shelf is widely used by different species offering a suitable environment for foraging; this may be why adults SGP from Patagonian colonies spend all year-round within the Argentine shelf. The identification of used areas of non-breeding SGP fills a gap in the species knowledge contributing not only to the preservation the species, but also to the management of marine areas globally recognized as important for many other Procellariiformes.

Procellariiform seabirds are among the avian species with the fastest rates of extinction due to interactions with fisheries and introduction of alien predators to the breeding colonies. Conservation and management policies targeting populations of these species must include information on colony demographics and levels of isolation and genetic markers go a long way toward providing reliable estimates of these parameters. To this end, we report isolation and characterization of 14 anonymous nuclear loci, with average length of 657 bp, in the pelagic seabird White-faced Storm-petrel Pelagodroma marina, a species for which there is virtually no genetic information available. These loci, initially isolated from a genomic library built from P. marina, were further tested, for a range of conditions, in 7 other species representing all Procellariiform families. We found high levels of cross-species amplification success, varying between 79% and 86% in representatives of Diomedeidae, Procellariidae, Pelecanoididae, and other Hydrobatidae. We also sequenced 11 loci for 22 P. marina individuals and report higher levels of anonymous genetic variation (π = 0.002), with an average of 1 single nucleotide polymorphism every 100 bp surveyed, relative to the levels found on a typically variable intron in avian species. These markers will be a valuable tool in future population genetics and phylogenetic studies, particularly of nonmodel seabird species. PMID:21447754

Two new species of the feather mite genus Promegninia Gaud & Atyeo, 1967 (Avenzoariidae: Bonnetellinae) are described from procellariids in the northeasterm Atlantic Ocean: Promegninia bulweriae n. sp. from the Bulwer's petrel Bulweria bulwerii (Jardine & Selby) and P. calonectris n. sp. from the Cory's shearwater Calonectris borealis (Cory) (Procellariiformes: Procellariidae). Males of P bulweriae n. sp. are most clearly distinguished from the other known species in the genus by having short legs III extending only to the level of lobar apices and short conical tarsi III with lanceolate ventral seta w; females of this species are characterised by the absence of additional sclerites at postero-lateral angles of the prodorsal shield. Males of P. calonectris differ from the other known species in having bidentate terminal lamellae on the lobar apices and the entire adanal shield; females of this species are distinguished by having well-developed pygidial shields and a hysteronotal shield encompassing the bases of setae c2. Sequence data of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene fragment (COI) are also obtained for the new species. An updated diagnosis of Promegninia and a key to the known species are provided. PMID:25557750

Santa Cruz Island is the most inhabited of the Galapagos archipelago, Ecuador. It faces important water resource problems which might lead to a major impact on their unique and pristine ecosystem, Endangered World Heritage list (2007). The scarcity of geological and hydrological data combined with the difficulty of access for field measurements lead to a poor understanding of the island hydrogeology. The Island is formed by series of thick fractured basaltic lava flows dissected by faults. The low-lying, extensive "basal" aquifer is the unique groundwater body identified on the island. This basal aquifer is subjected to sea-water intrusion, which has been mapped from electrical resistivity imaging with an airborne electromagnetic SkyTEM survey (D'Ozouville et al. 2008). In order to better understand the hydrodynamic properties of the basal aquifer, we acquired, in summer 2011, geophysical data based on seismic refraction. The experiment was conducted on three study sites located at different altitudes above the see level (Beagle site altitude +7m , Mirador +20m, and Villacis +393m). The P-wave refraction data were obtained using 24 geophones (1 component) and an acquisition system Daklink III. A hammer was used as an energy source. This source was the most environmentally friendly source that could be obtained and used in the Galapagos Island. Geophone spacing for the spreads was 1.2 or 5 m depending on the site. From our geophysical data, we could identify the different geological layers that constitute this basal aquifer and to estimate the thickness of these layers. We could as well clearly see the water level in the aquifer. More interesting, we found a P-wave velocity of ~1600 m/s in the dry fractured basalt lava flow, and a P-wave velocity of ~2700 m/s in the water saturated fractured basalt lava flow. The same velocity values were obtained in the different sites. This tends to show that the elastic properties of the aquifer are homogeneous and isotropic (at

The intermediate-spreading-rate Galapagos Spreading Center (GSC) experiences decreasing magma supply along axis with increasing distance from the nearby Galapagos hotspot. This allows us to explore the effects of variable magma supply on eruptive frequency, size, and style. Two contrasting sites on the GSC were mapped using high-resolution swath bathymetry, submersible observations, and camera tow photography. Individual eruptive units have been identified on the basis of these data and observations, as well sample geochemistry. In order to construct an eruptive history and to make broader interpretations regarding eruptive processes, it is necessary to place relative and absolute age constraints on these units. We present age determinations derived from geomagnetic paleointensity experiments at one of the study sites, centered at ~91°55'W, where increased magma supply from the hotspot results in an axial high. Due to the near monotonic decrease in geomagnetic paleointensity over the past ~500+ years, it is possible to infer relative age and to place approximate age constraints on eruptive units on the basis of their experimentally-determined paleointensity. Four of the largest identified units have been selected as a test case. Results suggest that the youngest flow is approximately 40 ± 30 years old. This flow unit is ~5 km long by 1 km wide, centered on the rise axis. An older flow (~180 ± 30 years old), also centered along the rise axis, lies to the west and its ~7 km along-axis exposure is interrupted by a large, flat-topped seamount. A number of active hydrothermal chimneys sit atop this flow unit, the heat source for which we infer to be related to the younger flow to the east or to a more recent shallow intrusion. The oldest documented flow is roughly 400 years old and is exposed slightly off-axis to the north of the two younger flows. The paleointensity-derived flow ages are consistent with available geological constraints on relative age. Based on

Magmatism and deformation are consequences of fundamental processes shaping Earth's ˜150 km-thick continental and <125 km-thick oceanic plates. Earthquake seismology encompasses many methods to detect compositional and thermal boundaries from Earth's surface to the dynamic mantle driving plate tectonics. This work uses three different seismic methods to probe magma migration and storage and tectonism in two intraplate hotspot provinces: the Galapagos and East Africa. First, seismic body-wave tomography is used to image magma within oceanic crust of the largest Galapagos volcano, Sierra Negra. A laterally large, low-velocity region with many smaller, high-magnitude velocity anomalies is imaged at 8--15.5 km depths. No sharp seismic velocity increase is imaged within the resolvable depths, indicating that the thickened crust is at least 16 km deep. The second study involves a spectral analysis of earthquakes induced by the intrusion of thin sheets of magma rising beneath the Afar rift, East Africa. Earthquakes have varying spectral content, some with unusually large amplitude low-frequency content and enhanced surface waves. The analysis showed no clear boundaries between spectral types, suggesting that they are all primarily the result of brittle failure. Deep dike segments (tops > 3 km) induce only high-frequency volcano-tectonic earthquakes, while shallower dike segments induce the full range of spectral types. This suggests that low-frequency content is a result of shallow hypocenters, with path and site effects, surface ruptures, and dike fluid interactions all possible secondary causes. In the final study, shear-wave splitting analysis of teleseismic body-wave phases is conducted to evaluate strain and crack fabrics at the base of the continental plate as a consequence of magmatism, mantle flow, and plate stretching in the Western rift, East Africa. On average, fast directions are northeast, consistent with geodynamic models of mantle flow from the African

The major histocompatibility complex (Mhc) is subject to pathogen-mediated balancing selection and can link natural selection with mate choice. We characterized two Mhc class II B loci in Leach's storm-petrel, Oceanodroma leucorhoa, focusing on exon 2 which encodes the portion of the protein that binds pathogen peptides. We amplified and sequenced exon 2 with locus-specific nested PCR and Illumina MiSeq using individually barcoded primers. Repeat genotyping of 78 single-locus genotypes produced identical results in 77 cases (98.7%). Sequencing of messenger RNA (mRNA) from three birds confirmed expression of both loci, consistent with the observed absence of stop codons or frameshifts in all alleles. In 48 birds, we found 9 and 12 alleles at the two loci, respectively, and all 21 alleles translated to unique amino acid sequences. Unlike many studies of duplicated Mhc genes, alleles of the two loci clustered into monophyletic groups. Consistent with this phylogenetic result, interlocus gene conversion appears to have affected only two short fragments of the exon. As predicted under a paradigm of pathogen-mediated selection, comparison of synonymous and non-synonymous substitution rates found evidence of a history of positive selection at putative peptide binding sites. Overall, the results suggest that the gene duplication event leading to these two loci is not recent and that point mutations and positive selection on the peptide binding sites may be the predominant forces acting on these genes. Characterization of these loci sets the stage for population-level work on the evolutionary ecology of Mhc in this species. PMID:25416539

The California Channel Islands (CCI) provide essential nesting habitat for a significant portion of the world’s Ashy Storm-Petrel Oceanodroma homochroa (ASSP) breeding population, but true abundance at this locality is not well known. Land-based nocturnal mistnetting has been conducted sporadically in the CCI since 1976, with variation in techniques and methods. Using a standardized catch-perunit-effort (CPUE) is one of the few methods available to monitor trends in relative abundance, but there currently are no guidelines for a standardized, repeatable approach for the CCI. During 2004–2007, I conducted mist-netting for ASSP at three colony sites within the CCI: Scorpion Rock (SR), Santa Barbara Island (SBI), and Prince Island (PI). During 47 site-nights (22 sessions), I obtained 1 177 unique captures, including 34 recaptures (2.9%) of previously banded individuals. ASSP captured at all three islands showed peak proportions of fully developed incubation patches in July and August. ASSP captured in the CCI had 5%–9% lower body mass than individuals captured off central California during the early 1970s; it is not known whether this difference reflects natural inter-annual variation or differences in body condition. ASSP from SBI had the lowest body condition index (BCI) compared with those from PI and SR, indicating different foraging environments. Overall, 22 netting-sessions at three islands yielded a power of 84% to detect a 30% lesser CPUE; 19 sessions would be required in a future effort to evaluate this level of change. Evaluation of additional factors that affect CPUE and other independent measures of abundance or attendance should be included in future mist-netting efforts.

This is a three-dimensional image of Isla Isabela in the western Galapagos Islands off the western coast of Ecuador, South America. The view was constructed by overlaying a Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-band Synthetic Aperture Radar image on a TOPSAR digital elevation map. The vertical scale in this image is exaggerated by a factor of 1.87. The SIR-C/X-SAR image was taken on the 40th orbit of the shuttle Endeavour. The image is centered at about .5 degrees south latitude and 91 degrees West longitude and covers an area of 75 km by 60 km. The radar incidence angle at the center of the image is about 20 degrees. This SIR-C/X-SAR image of Alcedo and Sierra Negra volcanoes shows the rougher lava flowas as bright features, while ash deposits and smooth Pahoehoe lava flows appear dark. A small portion of Isla Fernandina is visible in the extreme upper left corner of the image. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory alternative photo number is P-43913.

Three distinct physiological types of sulfur-oxidizing bacteria were enriched and isolated from samples collected at several deep-sea hydrothermal vents (2,550 m) of the Galapagos Rift ocean floor spreading center. Twelve strains of the obligately chemolithotrophic genus Thiomicrospira were obtained from venting water and from microbial mats covering surfaces in the immediate vicinity of the vents. From these and other sources two types of obligately heterotrophic sulfur oxidizers were repeatedly isolated that presumably oxidized thiosulfate either to sulfate (acid producing; 9 strains) or to polythionates (base producing; 74 strains). The former were thiobacilli-like, exhibiting a thiosulfate-stimulated increase in growth and CO(2) incorporation, whereas the latter were similar to previously encountered pseudomonad-like heterotrophs. The presence of chemolithotrophic sulfur-oxidizing bacteria in the sulfide-containing hydrothermal water supports the hypothesis that chemosynthesis provides a substantial primary food source for the rich populations of invertebrates found in the immediate vicinity of the vents. PMID:16345831

Three distinct physiological types of sulfur-oxidizing bacteria were enriched and isolated from samples collected at several deep-sea hydrothermal vents (2,550 m) of the Galapagos Rift ocean floor spreading center. Twelve strains of the obligately chemolithotrophic genus Thiomicrospira were obtained from venting water and from microbial mats covering surfaces in the immediate vicinity of the vents. From these and other sources two types of obligately heterotrophic sulfur oxidizers were repeatedly isolated that presumably oxidized thiosulfate either to sulfate (acid producing; 9 strains) or to polythionates (base producing; 74 strains). The former were thiobacilli-like, exhibiting a thiosulfate-stimulated increase in growth and CO2 incorporation, whereas the latter were similar to previously encountered pseudomonad-like heterotrophs. The presence of chemolithotrophic sulfur-oxidizing bacteria in the sulfide-containing hydrothermal water supports the hypothesis that chemosynthesis provides a substantial primary food source for the rich populations of invertebrates found in the immediate vicinity of the vents. Images PMID:16345831

Are pelagic species such as sharks and tuna distributed homogenously or heterogeneously in the oceans? Large assemblages of these species have been observed at seamounts and offshore islands in the eastern tropical Pacific, which are considered hotspots of pelagic biodiversity. Is the species distribution uniform at these hotspots or do species aggregate at a finer spatial scale at these sites? We employed three techniques to demonstrate that the aggregations of scalloped hammerhead sharks, Sphyrna lewini, and other pelagic species were confined to the southeastern corner of Wolf Island in the Galapagos Marine Reserve. Coded ultrasonic transmitters were placed on individuals at this site and at another aggregation site at Darwin Island, separated from Wolf by 40 km, and they were detected by monitors moored at the southeastern corner of Wolf Island and rarely by monitors deployed at other sites around the island. Hammerhead sharks, carrying depth-sensing continual transmitters, were tracked for two-day periods in a vessel and shown to reside a disproportionately large fraction of their time at the southeastern corner. Visual censuses were carried out seasonally at the eight monitor sites at Wolf Island, recording the abundance of one species of tuna, four species of jacks, and a number of other species. The highest diversity and abundance of these species occurred in the southeastern corner of the island. Our results support the use of hammerhead sharks as indicator and umbrella species for pelagic hotspots on a fine scale. PMID:24391250

Biological carbonate skeletons are built largely from carbon dioxide, which reacts to form carbonate ion within thin extracellular solutions. The light isotopes of carbon and oxygen react faster than the heavy isotopes, depleting the resulting carbonate ions in /sup 13/C and /sup 18/O. Calcium carbonate precipitation occurs sufficiently fast that the skeleton remains out of isotopic equilibrium with surrounding fluids. This explanation for isotopic disequilibrium in biological carbonates was partially simulated in vitro, producing results similar to those seen in non-photosynthetic corals. Photosynthetic corals have higher /sup 13/C//sup 12/C ratios due to the preferential removal of /sup 12/C (as organic carbon) from the reservoir of dissolved inorganic carbon. The oxygen isotopic variations in corals can be used to reconstruct past sea surface temperatures to an accuracy of about 0.5/sup 0/C. The carbon isotopic content of photosynthetic corals provides an indication of cloudiness. Using isotopic data from Galapagos corals, it was possible to construct proxy histories of the El Nino phenomenon. The physiology of skeletogenesis appears to be surprisingly similar in calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate, and silica precipitating systems.

We report here measurements of the heat flow field of the Galapagos Spreading Center on crust of age less than 1.0 m.y. The 443 measurements in an area of about 570 km2 reveal the general planform of the geothermal flux and permit the first truly areal estimate of the near-axis conductive heat flux. The intrusion process and associated hydrothermal circulation dominate the surface heat flow pattern, with circulation apparently continuing beyong the limits of our survey. The areal average of the conductive heat flux is 7.1+-0.8 HFU (295+-33 m W/m2), about one-third the heat flux predicted by plate models. The remaining heat is apparently removed by venting of hydrothermal waters at the spreading axis and through basalt outcrops and hydrothermal mounds off axis. The pattern of surface heat flux is lineated parallel to the axis and the strongly lineated topography. Sharp lateral gradients in the heat flow, greater than 10 HFU/km near escarpments and commonly expressed as high heat flow at the tops of the scarps and lower heat flow in the valleys, may indicate a local concentration of the circulation by surface fault systems and/or variable sediment thickness. -Authors

Field observations and biophysical models were combined to analyze sleeping-site selection by Galapagos land iguanas (Conolophus pallidus). Iguanas slept in different kinds of sleeping sites during different seasons. In the coolest season (garua), adult land iguanas were found in sleeping sites that were warmer than the coolest sites available. This may be because the garua season (cool, overcast, and foggy) is a time when environmental conditions mitigate against rapid warm-up in the mornings, so lizards may regulate nighttime body temperatures so that it is easier to warm up to preferred daytime body temperatures. In the warmest season, adult iguanas were found in the coolest sleeping sites available. This observation is consistent with hypotheses of voluntary hypothermia, which can be advantageous in energy conservation and in avoiding detrimental effects associated with maintenance of constant body temperatures throughout the day and night. Juvenile iguanas were found sleeping in rock crevices regardless of the ambient thermal environments. Such sites are likely to be important as refugia for this life stage, which, unlike the adult stage, is vulnerable to predation. It was concluded that selection of sleeping sites is a process that may help in avoidance of predation, optimization of body temperature at the end of the sleeping period, and reduction of metabolic costs during sleeping. The importance of some of these factors may change with the thermal milieu (e.g., season).

Possible rigid plate models and shear models for the formation of curved seafloor lineaments by rift propagation are investigated and are applied to the Galapagos propagation rift system at 95 deg W. It is shown that the geometry noted at the Galapagos can result from either rift propagation acceleration or a spreading rate decrease during the last few hundred thousand years. It is postulated that the reverse curvature could result from either deceleration of rift propagation or an increase in spreading rate. The data interpreted as requiring a shear zone are found to be equally consistent with two distinct models based on rigid plate tectonics.

Ratios of C, O, and H dissolved in silicate glass inclusions and pillow rind glasses in samples from the Galapagos Spreading Center near 95 deg W were analyzed (using laser volatilization and mass spectrometry), and the data were assessed in terms of mantle source compositions, oxygen fugacity, kinetic fractionation, and magmatic degassing. It was found that glass inclusions in the Galapagos failing rift lavas are higher and more variable in CO2/H2O (about 0.641) relative to inclusions in propagating rift lavas (about 0.245). This difference is considered to reflect different degrees of degassing during contrasting magmatic histories of the two regions.

Declining populations of two endangered species of seabirds on Kauai, Hawaii--the Dark-Rumped Petrel and Newell`s Shearwater--have been the emphasis of a three-year research program to determine the causes of bird mortality and fallout and to recommend preventive measures. This study refined scientific understanding of the timing of bird movements, enabling future biologists to sample rates of avian traffic more efficiently and perhaps better identify the times when it would be most beneficial to reduce outdoor lighting, which has been linked to fallout. The study also identified three specific areas where collisions would be most beneficial. A sampling site was established in the highlands along a transmission line that runs from the south shore to the north shore through the interior and in proximity to several shearwater colonies. This site has provided a much clearer picture of Procellariiform behavior and collision mortality rates in the coastal areas. Volume 2 of this report describes the ecology of the Dark-Rumped Petrel and Newell`s Shearwater on the island of Kauai.

The Galapagos Sailfin grouper, Mycteroperca olfax, locally known as bacalao and listed as vulnerable by the IUCN, is culturally, economically, and ecologically important to the Galapagos archipelago and its people. It is regionally endemic to the Eastern Tropical Pacific, and, while an important fishery resource that has shown substantial declines in recent years, to date no effective management regulations are in place to ensure the sustainability of the Galapagos fishery for this species. Previous estimates of longevity and size at maturity for bacalao are inconsistent with estimates for congeners, which brings into question the accuracy of prior estimates. We set out to assess the age, growth, and reproductive biology of bacalao in order to provide more accurate life history information to inform more effective fisheries management for this species. The oldest fish in our sample was 21 years old, which is 2-3 times greater than previously reported estimates of longevity. Parameter estimates for the von Bertalanffy growth function (k = 0.11, L ∞ = 110 cm TL, and to = - 1.7 years) show bacalao to grow much slower and attain substantially larger asymptotic maximum length than previous studies. Mean size at maturity (as female) was estimated at 65.3 cm TL, corresponding to a mean age of 6.5 years. We found that sex ratios were extremely female biased (0.009 M:1F), with a large majority of the individuals in our experimental catch being immature (79%). Our results show that bacalao grow slower, live longer, and mature at a much larger size and greater age than previously thought, with very few mature males in the population. These findings have important implications for the fishery of this valuable species and provide the impetus for a long-overdue species management plan to ensure its long-term sustainability. PMID:26401463

Most otariids have colony-specific foraging areas during the breeding season, when they behave as central place foragers. However, they may disperse over broad areas after the breeding season and individuals from different colonies may share foraging grounds at that time. Here, stable isotope ratios in the skull bone of adult Galapagos sea lions (Zalophus wollebaeki) were used to assess the long-term fidelity of both sexes to foraging grounds across the different regions of the Galapagos archipelago. Results indicated that the stable isotope ratios (δ13C and δ15N) of sea lion bone significantly differed among regions of the archipelago, without any significant difference between sexes and with a non significant interaction between sex and region. Moreover, standard ellipses, estimated by Bayesian inference and used as a measure of the isotopic resource use area at the population level, overlapped widely for the sea lions from the southern and central regions, whereas the overlap of the ellipses for sea lions from the central and western regions was small and non-existing for those from the western and southern regions. These results suggest that males and females from the same region within the archipelago use similar foraging grounds and have similar diets. Furthermore, they indicate that the exchange of adults between regions is limited, thus revealing a certain degree of foraging philopatry at a regional scale within the archipelago. The constraints imposed on males by an expanded reproductive season (~ 6 months), resulting from the weak reproductive synchrony among females, and those imposed on females by a very long lactation period (at least one year but up to three years), may explain the limited mobility of adult Galapagos sea lions of both sexes across the archipelago. PMID:26808381

Most otariids have colony-specific foraging areas during the breeding season, when they behave as central place foragers. However, they may disperse over broad areas after the breeding season and individuals from different colonies may share foraging grounds at that time. Here, stable isotope ratios in the skull bone of adult Galapagos sea lions (Zalophus wollebaeki) were used to assess the long-term fidelity of both sexes to foraging grounds across the different regions of the Galapagos archipelago. Results indicated that the stable isotope ratios (δ(13)C and δ(15)N) of sea lion bone significantly differed among regions of the archipelago, without any significant difference between sexes and with a non significant interaction between sex and region. Moreover, standard ellipses, estimated by Bayesian inference and used as a measure of the isotopic resource use area at the population level, overlapped widely for the sea lions from the southern and central regions, whereas the overlap of the ellipses for sea lions from the central and western regions was small and non-existing for those from the western and southern regions. These results suggest that males and females from the same region within the archipelago use similar foraging grounds and have similar diets. Furthermore, they indicate that the exchange of adults between regions is limited, thus revealing a certain degree of foraging philopatry at a regional scale within the archipelago. The constraints imposed on males by an expanded reproductive season (~ 6 months), resulting from the weak reproductive synchrony among females, and those imposed on females by a very long lactation period (at least one year but up to three years), may explain the limited mobility of adult Galapagos sea lions of both sexes across the archipelago. PMID:26808381

The Galapagos Sailfin grouper, Mycteroperca olfax, locally known as bacalao and listed as vulnerable by the IUCN, is culturally, economically, and ecologically important to the Galapagos archipelago and its people. It is regionally endemic to the Eastern Tropical Pacific, and, while an important fishery resource that has shown substantial declines in recent years, to date no effective management regulations are in place to ensure the sustainability of the Galapagos fishery for this species. Previous estimates of longevity and size at maturity for bacalao are inconsistent with estimates for congeners, which brings into question the accuracy of prior estimates. We set out to assess the age, growth, and reproductive biology of bacalao in order to provide more accurate life history information to inform more effective fisheries management for this species. The oldest fish in our sample was 21 years old, which is 2–3 times greater than previously reported estimates of longevity. Parameter estimates for the von Bertalanffy growth function (k = 0.11, L∞ = 110 cm TL, and to = − 1.7 years) show bacalao to grow much slower and attain substantially larger asymptotic maximum length than previous studies. Mean size at maturity (as female) was estimated at 65.3 cm TL, corresponding to a mean age of 6.5 years. We found that sex ratios were extremely female biased (0.009 M:1F), with a large majority of the individuals in our experimental catch being immature (79%). Our results show that bacalao grow slower, live longer, and mature at a much larger size and greater age than previously thought, with very few mature males in the population. These findings have important implications for the fishery of this valuable species and provide the impetus for a long-overdue species management plan to ensure its long-term sustainability. PMID:26401463

The white-spotted sandbass (Paralabrax albomaculatus) is a commercially important species in the Galapagos Marine Reserve, but is classified as endangered in the IUCN Red List. For this study, 10 microsatellite loci were isolated and characterized using Illumina paired-end sequencing. These loci can be used for genetic studies of population structure and connectivity to aid in the management of the white-spotted sandbass and other closely-related species. The 10 characterized loci were polymorphic, with 11-49 alleles per locus, and observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.575 to 0.964. This set of markers is the first to be developed for this species. PMID:26557418

The white-spotted sandbass (Paralabrax albomaculatus) is a commercially important species in the Galapagos Marine Reserve, but is classified as endangered in the IUCN Red List. For this study, 10 microsatellite loci were isolated and characterized using Illumina paired-end sequencing. These loci can be used for genetic studies of population structure and connectivity to aid in the management of the white-spotted sandbass and other closely-related species. The 10 characterized loci were polymorphic, with 11–49 alleles per locus, and observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.575 to 0.964. This set of markers is the first to be developed for this species. PMID:26557418

This study provides direct and indirect evidence of temporally and spatially consistent spawning aggregations for the grouper Mycteroperca olfax. Recently reported declines in population numbers, probably related to the direct targeting of aggregations by artisanal fishermen, highlight the urgent need for species-specific management actions in the Galapagos Marine Reserve, such as minimum and maximum landing sizes, and the importance of protecting key aggregation sites with the declaration of no-take areas and the establishment of total fishing bans during the reproductive season. PMID:25997940

Life-history theory predicts that individuals should adapt their parental investment to the costs and benefits of the current reproductive effort. This could be achieved by modulating the hormonal stress response, which may shift energy investment away from reproduction and redirect it toward survival. In birds, this stress response consists of a release of corticosterone that may be accompanied by a decrease in circulating prolactin, a hormone involved in the regulation of parental care. We lack data on the modulation of the prolactin stress response. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that individuals should modulate their prolactin stress response according to the fitness value of the current reproductive effort relative to the fitness value of future reproduction. Specifically, we examined the influence of breeding status (failed breeders vs. incubating birds) and body condition on prolactin and corticosterone stress responses in a long-lived species, the snow petrel Pagodroma nivea. When facing stressors, incubating birds had higher prolactin levels than failed breeders. However, we found no effect of body condition on the prolactin stress response. The corticosterone stress response was modulated according to body condition but was not affected by breeding status. We also performed an experiment using injections of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and found that the modulation of the corticosterone stress response was probably associated with a reduction in ACTH release by the pituitary and a decrease in adrenal sensitivity to ACTH. In addition, we examined whether prolactin and corticosterone secretion were functionally linked. We found that these two hormonal stress responses were not correlated. Moreover, injection of ACTH did not affect prolactin levels, demonstrating that short-term variations in prolactin levels are not governed directly or indirectly by ACTH release. Thus, we suggest that the corticosterone and prolactin responses to short

Restoration of extirpated species via captive breeding has typically relied on population viability as the primary criterion for evaluating success. This criterion is inadequate when species reintroduction is undertaken to restore ecological functions and interactions. Herein we report on the demographic and ecological outcomes of a five-decade-long population restoration program for a critically endangered species of “ecosystem engineer”: the endemic Española giant Galapagos tortoise (Chelonoidis hoodensis). Our analysis of complementary datasets on tortoise demography and movement, tortoise-plant interactions and Española Island’s vegetation history indicated that the repatriated tortoise population is secure from a strictly demographic perspective: about half of tortoises released on the island since 1975 were still alive in 2007, in situ reproduction is now significant, and future extinction risk is low with or without continued repatriation. Declining survival rates, somatic growth rates, and body condition of repatriates suggests, however, that resources for continued population growth are increasingly limited. Soil stable carbon isotope analyses indicated a pronounced shift toward woody plants in the recent history of the island’s plant community, likely a legacy of changes in competitive relations between woody and herbaceous plants induced by now-eradicated feral goats and prolonged absence of tortoises. Woody plants are of concern because they block tortoise movement and hinder recruitment of cactus–a critical resource for tortoises. Tortoises restrict themselves to remnant cactus patches and areas of low woody plant density in the center of the island despite an apparent capacity to colonize a far greater range, likely because of a lack of cactus elsewhere on the island. We conclude that ecosystem-level criteria for success of species reintroduction efforts take much longer to achieve than population-level criteria; moreover, reinstatement of

ALVIN investigations have defined the fine-scale structural and volcanic patterns produced by active rift and spreading center propagation and failure near 95.5° W on the Galapagos spreading center. Behind the initial lithospheric rifting, which is propagating nearly due west at about 50 km m.y.−1, a triangular block of preexisting lithosphere is being stretched and fractured, with some recent volcanism along curving fissures. A well-organized seafloor spreading center, an extensively faulted and fissured volcanic ridge, develops ~ 10 km (~ 200,000 years) behind the tectonic rift tip. Regional variations in the chemical compositions of the youngest lavas collected during this program contrast with those encompassing the entire 3 m.y. of propagation history for this region. A maximum in degree of magmatic differentiation occurs about 9 km behind the propagating rift tip, in a region of diffuse rifting. The propagating spreading center shows a gentle gradient in magmatic differentiation culminating at the SW-curving spreading center tip. Except for the doomed rift, which is in a constructional phase, tectonic activity also dominates over volcanic activity along the failing spreading system. In contrast to the propagating rift, failing rift lavas show a highly restricted range of compositions consistent with derivation from a declining upwelling zone accompanying rift failure. The lithosphere transferred from the Cocos to the Nazca plate by this propagator is extensively faulted and characterized by ubiquitous talus in one of the most tectonically disrupted areas of seafloor known. The pseudofault scarps, where the preexisting lithosphere was rifted apart, appear to include both normal and propagator lavas and are thus more lithologically complex than previously thought. Biological communities, probably vestimentiferan tubeworms, occur near the top of the outer pseudofault scarp, although no hydrothermal venting was observed.

It is widely acknowledged that environmental enrichment plays an important role in promoting the welfare of captive animals. However, a topic of debate is whether an animal's preference for an enrichment strategy is any indicator of its efficacy. In addition, relatively few studies have evaluated environmental enrichment strategies for non-mammalian species. In the present study, we compared the results of an observational evaluation of enrichment efficacy with the results of a paired-stimulus preference assessment for three Galapagos tortoises. In the observational study, object enrichment (boomer balls and a free-flowing sprinkler) and keeper interactions (shell scrubbing and neck rubbing) were evaluated systematically for their effects on locomotion, species-typical behavior, aggressive and non-aggressive conspecific interactions, and enclosure. Preference assessments were subsequently conducted in which subjects could choose the enrichment strategy to be implemented. All subjects preferred keeper interactions consistently over object enrichment. Our results suggest that enrichment preference was a variable predictor of efficacy across enrichment species-typical behavior, activity levels, enclosure use, and aggressive and non-aggressive conspecific interactions strategies. Preference predicted efficacy for promoting species-typical behavior (1/3 subjects), activity levels (2/3 subjects), and enclosure use (2/3 subjects), but not conspecific interactions (0/3 subjects). The results suggest that preference may be an efficient predictor of enrichment efficacy when daily observational evaluations are not practical; however, the predictive utility of preference assessments may depend on the behavioral goal of the enrichment strategy. We discuss the need for future research examining the relationship between preference and enrichment efficacy-as well as other potential indicators of enrichment effectiveness-in captive animals. PMID:25065472

Restoration of extirpated species via captive breeding has typically relied on population viability as the primary criterion for evaluating success. This criterion is inadequate when species reintroduction is undertaken to restore ecological functions and interactions. Herein we report on the demographic and ecological outcomes of a five-decade-long population restoration program for a critically endangered species of "ecosystem engineer": the endemic Española giant Galapagos tortoise (Chelonoidis hoodensis). Our analysis of complementary datasets on tortoise demography and movement, tortoise-plant interactions and Española Island's vegetation history indicated that the repatriated tortoise population is secure from a strictly demographic perspective: about half of tortoises released on the island since 1975 were still alive in 2007, in situ reproduction is now significant, and future extinction risk is low with or without continued repatriation. Declining survival rates, somatic growth rates, and body condition of repatriates suggests, however, that resources for continued population growth are increasingly limited. Soil stable carbon isotope analyses indicated a pronounced shift toward woody plants in the recent history of the island's plant community, likely a legacy of changes in competitive relations between woody and herbaceous plants induced by now-eradicated feral goats and prolonged absence of tortoises. Woody plants are of concern because they block tortoise movement and hinder recruitment of cactus--a critical resource for tortoises. Tortoises restrict themselves to remnant cactus patches and areas of low woody plant density in the center of the island despite an apparent capacity to colonize a far greater range, likely because of a lack of cactus elsewhere on the island. We conclude that ecosystem-level criteria for success of species reintroduction efforts take much longer to achieve than population-level criteria; moreover, reinstatement of

In March 1954, along the west-central coast of Isabela Island, an upward movement of magma suddenly raised Urvina Bay over 6 m and exposed several square kilometers of carbonate deposits covering a young aa lava flow (around 1000 years old). Results from 6 transect lines across the uplift, 30 cores, and 10 trenches describe the sedimentologic and ecologic transition from barren basalt to diverse carbonate sediments with small coral reefs. Along horizontal transects spanning from 0 to 7 m paleowater depth, there is a seaward progression from beaches, mangroves, and basalt to thick deposits (> 1.6 m) of carbonate sands and small coral reefs. Variation in water depth, degree of wave exposure, and irregularity of the aa lava topography provided many microhabitats where coral, calcareous algae, and mollusks settled and grew. Eight hermatypic coral species are found throughout the shelf, and three species (i.e., Pavona clavus, Pocillopora damicornis, and Porites lobata) produced five small, isolated, monospecific, coral-reef frameworks. The vertical section seen in cores and trenches shows that calcium carbonate increased upward, whereas volcanic sediments decreased; however, episodic layers occur with high concentrations of basaltic sands. In vertical samples from the central portion of the shelf, the coral population changed from small, isolated colonies of Psammocora (Plesioseris) superficalis near the basalt basement to large reef-forming colonies of Pocillopora damicornis farther upsection. Reefs of the Galapagos Islands are small and less diverse than most Pacific reefs. Nonetheless, understanding their temporal successional development should throw light on the origin and history of larger oceanic reefs in the Pacific.

Recent studies have shown that water masses which compose the poleward Peru-Chile Undercurrent (PCUC) and the equatorward Peru Coastal Current are influenced by the mean state and variability of the Equatorial Under Current (EUC) and of the South Equatorial Current. Several modeling studies emphasized that EUC intensity is strongly affected by the topographic barrier formed by the Galapagos Islands (GI) and the spatial resolution of the model, which can reduce the eastward flow and the associated cold bias usually present in the cold tongue in the majority of CGCMs. Consequently, the archipelago appears to be a key element connecting the Equatorial Pacific and the Humboldt Current System. A ROMS (Regional Oceanic Model System) model configuration was designed to address the role of the small scale topography of the GI on the dynamics of the area. The employed methodology was quite simple: 2 climatological simulations (15 years after spin ups) were run, one including the archipelago with a 1/6° resolution, the other one excluding all bathymetric features above 3000m depth in the vicinity of GI. The main investigated questions are how the model spatial fine resolution impacts the Eastern Pacific mean state, seasonal variability, meso-scale dynamics in the region and the EUC/PCUC pathways, which are studied using Lagrangian diagnostics. The influence of these islands on the propagation of equatorial and coastally trapped Kelvin waves, and on the reflection of Rossby waves is also diagnosed. Because of the role of these waves on the surface and sub-surface water properties off South America coast, the possible rectification of Tropical eastern Pacific mean state through nonlinear processes and changes in waves propagation features, namely changes in vertical stratification, is also investigated.

Recent studies have shown that water masses which compose the poleward Peru-Chile Undercurrent (PCUC) and the equatorward Peru Coastal Current are influenced by the mean state and variability of the Equatorial Under Current (EUC) and of the South Equatorial Current. Several modeling studies emphasized that EUC intensity is strongly affected by the topographic barrier formed by the Galapagos Islands (GI) and the spatial resolution of the model, which can reduce the eastward flow and the associated cold bias usually present in the cold tongue in the majority of CGCMs. Consequently, the archipelago appears to be a key element connecting the Equatorial Pacific and the Humboldt Current System. A ROMS (Regional Oceanic Model System) model configuration was designed to address the role of the small scale topography of the GI on the dynamics of the area. The employed methodology was quite simple: 2 climatological simulations (15 years after spin ups) were run, one including the archipelago with a 1/6 ° resolution, the other one excluding all bathymetric features above 3000m depth in the vicinity of GI. The main investigated questions are how the model spatial fine resolution impacts the Eastern Pacific mean state, seasonal variability, meso-scale dynamics in the region and the EUC/PCUC pathways, which are studied using Lagrangian diagnostics. The influence of these islands on the propagation of equatorial and coastally trapped Kelvin waves, and on the reflection of Rossby waves is also diagnosed, because of the role of these waves on the surface and sub-surface water properties off South America coast. The possible rectification of Tropical eastern Pacific mean state through changes in waves propagation features, namely changes in vertical stratification, is also investigated. Results will be confronted to TAO mooring data (95 ° W, just west of GI) and to satellite altimetry in order to validate our modeling procedure.

Seasonal differences in the body temperatures (T/sub b/) of free-ranging Galapagos land iguanas (Conolophus pallidus) were detected by temperature sensitive telemetry transmitters. Midday T/sub b/'s of iguanas average 4.4/sup 0/C lower in the Garua (cool) season than in the Hot season. Measured T/sub b/'s and those predicted from biophysical models permitted the following conclusions: (1) lower T/sub b/'s during the Garua season represent an active shift in thermoregulation by the iguanas rather than a passive result of a cooler season; (2) the average midday T/sub b/ selected by the iguanas in either season is the T/sub b/ that allows maintenance of a constant T/sub b/ for the longest possible portion of the day; (3) by exploiting the warmer microclimate created by a cliff face, the iguanas are able to maintain a constant T/sub b/ for a full hour longer than they could elsewhere in their home range. Census data demonstrated that the iguanas exploited the warmer microclimate created by the cliff extensively during the Garua season, and the cliff face was visited by the iguanas relatively infrequently during the Hot season. Thus, the exploitation of the microclimate created by the cliff results in seasonal differences in the pattern of space utilization within the home ranges of the iguanas. Within the Garua season the iguanas moved away from the cliff more often on sunny days than during cloudy days. It is concluded that the physical environment is an important determinant of patterns of space utilization both within and between seasons.

The Galapagos Marine Reserve (GMR) is one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world. Phytoplankton are the base of the ecosystem food chain for many higher trophic organisms, so identifying phytoplankton biomass distribution is the first step in understanding the dynamic envir...

The Angus camera system is used to investigate the detailed structure and morphology of the active hydrothermal vent fields of the Galapagos Rift. Precision navigational data are combined with microtopographic information and detailed geological and biological observations obtained from an analysis of the color bottom pictures to create a series of three-dimensional models for each vent field.

Changes in land use, such as the clear cutting of forests and the abandonment of land once used for agriculture, pose an incredible threat to the fragile ecosystems in the tropics. One such consequence of land use change in the tropics is the propagation of invasive plant species. The Galapagos Islands, an ecosystem subject to significant anthropogenic pressure by both increasing tourism and a growing native population, are especially threatened by invasive plant species. More than 800 plant species have been introduced in Galapagos, comprising over 60% of the total flora. San Cristobal Island in particular has been impacted by the introduction of non-native species; the combined pressures of invasive species and land use change have fundamentally altered 70% of the landscape of the island. We performed stable isotope analysis of fog water, surface water and plant xylem water to examine water use by both native and invasive plant species across different microclimatic zones. We conducted these measurements starting at the end of the rainy season and through the middle of the dry season. Our results represent an initial effort to characterize the effects of a changing vegetative cover on the water cycling of tropical islands and provide insight into the interactions between plants, surface water and groundwater at various spatial and temporal scales.

The potential effects of land use changes on groundwater recharge are being investigated on the windward side of Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos. Comparative studies allow the identification of the processes (evaporation, transpiration, soil water storage) at the vegetation/soil interface leading to contrasting recharge rates under different land covers. During one year, we monitored soil water dynamics under two adjacent study plots differing only by their vegetation cover: a pasture and a secondary forest. Climatic variables were monitored above the pasture and completed by throughfall monitoring under the forest. Tensiometers provide a direct measurement of the driving force of water dynamics in the soil: the hydraulic head gradient. In the two plots, tensiometers were set up in vertical profiles together with soil water content probes and connected to an automatic acquisition device. The forest stand has a higher canopy storage capacity and aerodynamic resistance, which causes evaporation losses to be higher. This is confirmed by throughfall measurements: only ca. 80% of gross precipitation reaches the ground. Expectedly, soil water tension profiles present clearly different behaviors in the pasture and in the forest. Despite high uncertainties on estimated recharge rates, we show that parallel monitoring of soil hydrodynamics in these two study plots provides valuable insights and may help to manage or anticipate the potential effect of deforestation or invasion by introduced plants on the hydrology of Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos.

The brown sea cucumber fishery is active in the Galapagos Islands since the year 1991 after its collapse in mainland Ecuador. This paper analyzes the Galapagos Sea cucumber fishery over the past decade and the reasons for its management pitfalls and chronic over fishing, and proposes an improved strategy for estimating stock size and harvest potential. Based on the historical distribution of the fishing fleet and past fishery surveys, 15 macrozones were defined; their areas were estimated from the coastline to the 30m isobaths and the numbers of sample replicates per macrozone were calculated for a density estimate precision of +/-25%. Overall stock size was calculated by summing over all macrozones and was multiplied by 0.122 to obtain the annual quota. This multiplier was derived by inserting an exploitation rate of E=0.3 and a published natural mortality value of M=0.17 into Cadimas formula, thereby obtaining a more conservative precautionary quota estimate. Pre-fishery stock densities in 2009 were below the legal threshold value and the fishery remained closed. Mean densities were significantly lower in the deeper (>15m) than in the shallower (<15m) stratum, contrary to fishermen expectations. Through an empirical regression of (log) pre-fishery density versus subsequent annual catch for the period 1998-2008 we found that catches of most years greatly exceeded the here proposed quota explaining the collapsed nature of the stock. PMID:23894927

The paleogeography of the Galapagos archipelago is important in evolutionary and biogeographic studies. The Galapagos islands are located on young (< 12 Ma) seafloor near the spreading center between the Cocos and Nazca plates, and they are products of volcanism associated with melting of a mantle upwelling plume underlying the eastward moving Nazca plate. Most of the major islands lie on the Galapagos Platform, a broad plateau that rises 2 km above the surrounding seafloor. Many of the islands are separated by shallow seas only 100's meters deep, thus an accurate model of island elevation with time is necessary for assessing the paleogeography. A number of processes affect the paleogeography of oceanic islands, including erosion, thermal subsidence due to cooling of lithosphere, subsidence due to lithospheric loading, isostacy, and global sea-level changes. We examine the effects of thermal subsidence and global sea-level changes on the paleogeography of the Galapagos. We use the present day bathymetry and topography data from GEBCO as a starting point and reconstruct the bathymetry and topography for the Galapagos back in time by considering the effects of thermal subsidence and global sea-level changes. Thermal subsidence due to lithospheric cooling is relatively straightforward, provided that lithospheric age is known. However, this process is complicated by the continual construction of the platform over the course of > 2 million years, which slows down the lithospheric cooling and resets the cooling age. Therefore, the net thermal subsidence is controlled by the cooling of the both lithosphere and the newly added volcanic rocks (i.e., locally on the islands and the regional platform). Global sea-level changes due to glaciation cycles occur on a relatively short time scales (~10 ka) and can cause more than 100 meter sea level drops in the Galapagos at the last glacial maximum 25 ka ago, according to recent global sea-level change models that consider ice

As we begin to manage our oceans in much more spatial detail we must understand a great deal more about oceanographic habitat preferences of marine mobile top predators. In this unique field study we test a hypothesis on the mechanisms defining mobile predator foraging habitat characteristics by comparing temporally and spatially detailed bio-physical oceanographic data from contrasting topographical locations. We contrast the foraging locations of two very different seabird species, gannets and storm petrels, by repeatedly sampling a bank and a nearby flat area over daily tidal cycles during spring and neap tides. The results suggest that storm petrels are linked to foraging in specific locations where internal waves are produced, which is mainly on banks. These locations can also include the presence of high biomass of chlorophyll. In contrast, the location where more gannets are foraging is significantly influenced by temporal variables with higher densities of foraging birds much more likely during the neap tide than times of spring tide. The foraging times of both species was influenced by differences between the vertical layers of the water column above and below the thermocline; via either vertical shear of horizontal currents or absolute differences in speed between layers. Higher densities of foraging gannets were significantly more likely to be found at ebb tides in both bank and flat regions however over the bank, the density of foraging gannets was higher when the differences in speed between the layers were at a maximum. Both gannets and storm petrels appear to be more likely to forage when wind direction is opposed to tidal direction. This detailed understanding links foraging behaviour to predictable spatial and temporal bio-physical vertical characteristics and thus can be immediately used to explain variance and increase certainty in past abundance and distributional surveys. These results also illuminate the types of variables that should be

The membrane pacemaker hypothesis predicts that long-living species will have more peroxidation-resistant membrane lipids than shorter living species. We tested this hypothesis by comparing the fatty acid composition of heart phospholipids from long-living Procellariiformes (petrels and albatrosses) to those of shorter living Galliformes (fowl). The seabirds were obtained from by-catch of commercial fishing operations and the fowl values from published data. The 3.8-fold greater predicted longevity of the seabirds was associated with elevated content of peroxidation-resistant monounsaturates and reduced content of peroxidation-prone polyunsaturates and, consequently, a significantly reduced peroxidation index in heart membrane lipids, compared with fowl. Peroxidation-resistant membrane composition may be an important physiological trait for longevous species. PMID:18492647

The hormonal stress response is flexible and can be modulated by individuals according to its costs and benefits. Therefore, it is predicted that parents in poor body condition should modify their hormonal stress response, and thus, redirect energy allocation processes from parental care to self-maintenance when stressors occur. To test this prediction, most studies on free-living vertebrates have only focused on the stress response while the stress recovery - how quickly hormonal levels return to baseline values - has been neglected. Moreover, most studies have only focused on corticosterone - the primary mediator of allostasis - without paying attention to prolactin despite its major role in mediating parental behaviors. Here, we examined the effect of a short-term fasting event on the corticosterone and prolactin stress responses and recoveries, and we subsequently explored their relationships with parental decision in the snow petrel (Pagodroma nivea). By comparing the hormonal profiles of fasting and non-fasting snow petrels, we showed that parents modulate their corticosterone (but not prolactin) stress response according to their energetic status. We also described for the first time the hormonal stress recoveries in wild birds and found that they did not differ between fasting and non-fasting birds. Importantly, egg neglect was negatively correlated with circulating prolactin but not corticosterone levels in this species, demonstrating therefore a complex link between body condition, parental behavior and circulating corticosterone and prolactin levels. We suggest that both corticosterone and prolactin play a major role in the way parents adjust to stressors. This multiple signaling may allow parents to fine-tune their response to stressors, and especially, to activate specific allostasis-related mechanisms in a timely manner. PMID:25456104

The extent to which fluids may leak from sedimentary basins to the seabed is a critical issue for assessing the potential of a basin for carbon capture and storage. The Petrel Sub-basin, located beneath central and eastern Joseph Bonaparte Gulf in tropical northern Australia, was identified as potentially suitable for the geological storage of CO2 because of its geological characteristics and proximity to offshore gas and petroleum resources. In May 2012, a multidisciplinary marine survey (SOL5463) was undertaken to collect data in two targeted areas of the Petrel Sub-basin to facilitate an assessment of its CO2 storage potential. This paper focuses on Area 1 of that survey, a 471 km2 area of sediment-starved shelf (water depths of 78 to 102 m), characterised by low-gradient plains, low-lying ridges, palaeo-channels and shallow pockmarks. Three pockmark types are recognised: small shallow unit pockmarks 10-20 m in diameter (generally <1 m, rarely to 2 m deep), composite pockmarks of 150-300 m diameter formed from the co-location of several cross-cutting pockmarks forming a broad shallow depression (<1 m deep), and pockmark clusters comprised of shallow unit pockmarks co-located side by side (150-300 m width overall, <1 m deep). Pockmark distribution is non-random, focused within and adjacent to palaeo-channels, with pockmark clusters also located adjacent to ridges. Pockmark formation is constrained by AMS 14C dating of in situ mangrove deposits and shells to have begun after 15.5 cal ka BP when a rapid marine transgression of Bonaparte Shelf associated with meltwater pulse 1A drowned coastal mangrove environments. Pockmark development is likely an ongoing process driven by fluid seepage at the seabed, and sourced from CO2 produced in the shallow sub-surface (<2 m) sediment. No evidence for direct connection to deeper features was observed.

Basaltic shields forming ocean island volcanoes, in particular those of Hawai'i and of the Galapagos Islands, constitute some of the largest volcanic features on Earth. Understanding subsurface processes such as those controlling magma supply, storage and migration at these volcanoes, is essential to any attempt to anticipate their future behavior. This dissertation presents a series of studies carried out at Hawaiian and Galapagos volcanoes. InSAR measurements acquired between 2003 and 2010 at Fernandina Volcano, Galapagos, are used to study the structure and the dynamics of the shallow magmatic system of the volcano (Chapter 3). Spatial and temporal variations in the measured displacements reveal the presence of two hydraulically connected areas of magma storage, and the modeling of the deformation data provides an estimate of their location and geometry. The same dataset also provides the first geodetic evidence for two subvolcanic sill intrusions (in 2006 and 2007) deep beneath the volcano's flank. The lateral migration of magma from the reservoirs during these intrusions could provide an explanation for enigmatic volcanic events at Fernandina such as the 1968 caldera collapse without significant eruption. Space-geodetic measurements of the surface deformation produced by the most recent eruptions at Fernandina, reveal that all have initiated with the intrusion of subhorizontal sills from the shallow magma reservoir (Chapter 4). A synthetic aperture radar (SAR) image acquired 1-2 h before the start of a radial fissure eruption in 2009 captures one of these sills in the midst of its propagation toward the surface. Galapagos eruptive fissures of all orientations have previously been presumed to be fed by vertical dikes, but these new findings allow a reinterpretation of the internal structure and evolution of Galapagos volcanoes and of similar basaltic shields elsewhere on Earth and on other planets. A joint analysis of InSAR and groud-based microgravity data

Drivers of hydrothermal venting at mid-ocean ridges are crustal permeability and heat derived from magma, but their relative contributions remain enigmatic, thus raising the question why vents occur where they do. Currently, observational data are ambiguous and biased toward actively venting sites. However, new AUV Sentry bathymetric data from the 92W segment of the Galapagos Spreading Center from the 2010 GRUVEE expedition provide 0.5 m gridded maps that resolve individual chimneys, at least 2m tall and 0.75 m wide, directly. Comparing chimney features from the 23 vents found in the Alvin video with the AUV Sentry bathymetry establishes criteria that allow many other vents to be identified in our study area using only bathymetric data and without need for direct visual observation. Thus, we have a nearly complete record of both active and inactive hydrothermal chimneys over the entire length of a mid-ocean ridge segment to correlate with other seafloor features for further analysis. We use lava morphology, extent of mapped lava flow units, and volcanic features such as tumuli and pillow mounds as proxies for volcanic heat. Magmatic heat input, on a longer timescale, may be estimated by using seismic data on the thickness of layer 2A, depth to the magma lens, or crustal thickness as proxies. For permeability proxies, over 350 fault segments and 150+ fissures have been cataloged on this segment. By analyzing the locations of all these features relative to hydrothermal chimneys, it is possible to correlate crustal permeability and lava morphology with the distribution of vents and to provide empirical constraints on whether certain types of seafloor terrain are more conducive to hosting hydrothermal chimneys. Preliminary analysis suggests a strong correlation between chimneys and nearby mounds and major faults. All 23 chimneys seen with Alvin, inactive and active, are within 30 m of mounds. Considering both chimneys seen from Alvin and a partial catalog of those only

During 14-16 September 1988, a large intracaldera avalanche and an eruption of basaltic tephra and lava at Fernandina volcano, Galapagos, produced the most profound changes within the caldera since its collapse in 1968. A swarm of eight earthquakes (mb 4.7-5.5) occurred in a 14 h period on 24 February 1988 at Fernandina, and two more earthquakes of this size followed on 15 April and 20 May, respectively. On 14 September 1988, another earthquake (mb 4.6) preceded a complex series of events. A debris avalanche was generated by the failure of a fault-bounded segment of the east caldera wall, approximately 2 km long and 300 m wide. The avalanche deposit is up to 250 m thick and has an approximate volume of 0.9 km3. The avalanche rapidly displaced a preexisting lake from the southeast end of the caldera floor to the northwest end, where the water washed up against the lower part of the caldera wall, then gradually seeped into the avalanche deposit and was completely gone by mid-January 1989. An eruption began in the caldera within about 1-2 h of the earthquake, producing a vigorous tephra plume for about 12 h, then lava flows during the next two days. The eruption ended late on 16 September. Most of the eruptive activity was from vents on the caldera floor near the base of the new avalanche scar. Unequivocal relative timing of events is difficult to determine, but seismic records suggest that the avalanche may have occurred 1.6 h after the earthquake, and field relations show that lava was clearly erupted after the avalanche was emplaced. The most likely sequence of events seems to be that the 1988 feeder dike intruded upward into the east caldera wall, dislocated the unstable wall block, and triggered the avalanche. The avalanche immediately exposed the newly emplaced dike and initiated the eruption. The exact cause of the earthquakes is unknown. ?? 1991 Springer-Verlag.

Several fundamental tectonic problems of the equatorial Pacific remain unsolved due to the lack of magnetic anomaly data. A basic limitation encountered with the use of the standard proton precession magnetometer (or any total field instrument) is that total field anomalies over approximately N/S striking bodies are very small at low magnetic latitudes. Another problem encountered with magnetic surveys near the magnetic equator are the diurnal variations associated with the external field. Measurements of the vector anomalous field and total field gradient offer ways to overcome these limitations. Total field gradiometer data allow recognition and removal of time dependent external field variations. Vector magnetic anomalies provide two distinct advantages over total field measurements. Although the total field anomalies are small (typically 50 nT) over most of the equatorial Pacific, the vertical and horizontal components of the anomalous field are 2-5 times larger. In addition, vector anomaly data can be used to evaluate the two dimensionality of the magnetic source since the along track and vertical anomalies are related by a 90o phase shift for a perfectly two dimensional source. To evaluate the advantages of these systems, we conducted a survey of the trails of the Galapagos triple junction using both a high resolution total field gradiometer and a vector magnetometer. The longitudinal gradiometer system consists of two Overhauser sensors (0.01 nT sensitivity) towed 350 and 450m behind the survey vessel. The towed vector magnetometer utilizes a commercial motion reference sensor (0.02o orientation accuracy with three fluxgate sensors) suitable for measuring horizontal and vertical anomalies as small as 30-50 nT. Vector anomalies across Cocos-Nazca crust corroborate the high degree of linearity of these E/W lineations; horizontal and vertical anomalies exhibit high coherence (>0.9) and the expected 90o phase relationship at wavelengths longer than ~8km. Vector

The Bolivar Channel Ecosystem (BCE) is among the most productive zones in the Galapagos Marine Reserve (GMR). It is exposed to relatively cool, nutrient-rich waters of the Cromwell current, which are brought to the photic zone through topographic upwelling. The BCE is characterized by a heterogeneous rocky reef habitat covered by dense algae beds and inhabited by numerous invertebrate and fish species, which represent the food for higher predators including seals and sharks and exploited fish species. In addition, plankton and detritus based food chains channel large amounts of energy through the complex food web. Important emblematic species of the Galapagos archipelagos reside in this area such as the flightless cormorant, the Galapagos penguin and the marine iguanas. A trophic model of BCE was constructed for the habitats < 30 m depth that fringe the west coast of Isabela and east coast of Fernandina islands covering 14% of the total BCE area (44 km 2). The model integrates data sets from sub tidal ecological monitoring and marine vertebrate population monitoring (2004 to 2008) programs of the Charles Darwin Foundation and consists of 30 compartments, which are trophically linked through a diet matrix. Results reveal that the BCE is a large system in terms of flows (38 695 t km - 2 yr - 1 ) comparable to Peruvian Bay Systems of the Humboldt upwelling system. A very large proportion of energy flows from the primary producers (phytoplankton and macro-algae) to the second level and to the detritus pool. Catches are high (54.3 t km - 2 yr - 1 ) and are mainly derived from the second and third trophic levels (mean TL of catch = 2.45) making the fisheries gross efficiency high (0.3%). The system's degree of development seems rather low as indicated by a P/R ratio of 4.19, a low ascendency (37.4%) and a very low Finn's cycling index (1.29%). This is explained by the system's exposure to irregular changes in oceanographic conditions as related to the EL Niño Southern

The oxidation state of the mantle plays an intrinsic role in the magmatic evolution of the Earth. Here we present new μ-XANES measurements of Fe3+/ΣFe ratios (a proxy for ƒO2) in a suite of submarine glasses from the Galapagos Archipelago. Using previously presented major, trace, and volatile elements and isotopic data for 4 groups of glass that come from distinct mantle sources (depleted upper mantle, 2 recycled, and a primitive mantle source) we show that Fe3+/ΣFe ratios vary both with the influence of shallow level processes and with variations in mantle source. Fe3+/ΣFe ratios increase with differentiation (i.e. decreasing MgO), but show a large variation at a given MgO. Progressive degassing of sulfur accompanies decreasing Fe3+/ΣFe ratios, while assimilation of hydrothermally altered crust (as indicated by increasing Sr/Sr*) is shown to increase Fe3+/ΣFe ratios. After taking these processes into account, there is still variability in the Fe3+/ΣFe ratios of the isotopically distinct sample suites studied, yielding a magmatic ƒO2 that ranges from ΔQFM = +0.16 to +0.74 (error < 0.5 log units) and showing that oxidation state varies as a function of mantle source composition in the Galapagos hotspot system. After correcting back to a common MgO content = 8.0 wt%, the trace element depleted group similar to MORB (ITD), and the group similar to Pinta (WD = high Th/La, Δ7/4, Δ8/4 ratios) show Fe3+/ΣFe ratios within the range of MORB (average ITD = 0.162 ± 0.003 and WD = 0.164 ± 0.006). Another trace element enriched group similar to Sierra Negra and Cerro Azul (ITE = enriched Sr and Pb isotopes) shows evidence of mixing between oxidized and reduced sources (ITE oxidized end-member = 0.177). This suggests that mantle sources in the Galapagos that are thought to contain recycled components (i.e., WD and ITE groups) have distinct oxidation states. The high 3He/4He Fernandina samples (HHe group) are shown to be the most oxidized (ave. 0.175 ± 0

We report on the petrology and geochemistry of basalts dredged at 40--50 km intervals along the Galapagos Spreading Center, between 83/sup 0/W and 101/sup 0/W (40 stations). Emphasis is on spatial variations of 'whole rock' major elements, rare earths, trace metals of the first transition series, and the nature of phenocryst assemblages and their abundances. These results provide new constraints on the nature and scale of mantle source heterogeneities, melting conditions, thermal field, and dynamics of crustal formation of the region. We suggest that ridge segments outside the high magnetic amplitude zone are at a steady state as a result of passive seafloor spreading. Basalts from these segments are apparently derived from an asthenosphere relatively uniformally depleted in incompatible elements, which appears of worldwide extent. We reject Vogt and DeBoer's (1976) model invoking damming at fracture zones of subaxial asthenosphere flow of crystal slushes and increasing fractional crystallization down the flow line, because this model would not explain the gradients in REE observed about the Galapagos Platform. Our preferred model combines the mantle-plume binary mixing model of Schilling (1973) with the concept of recurring rift propagation proposed by Hey (1977a). We further propose that pulsating mantle plume flux, perhaps in the form of a chain of blobs, may initiate the development of new rifts and their propagation. The present position of the tips of such new propagating rifts locate the wave fronts of such pulsating mantle plume flow. A two million year period is suggested for the last 4 m.y. from Wilson and Hey's (1979) information Rigorous testing of our preferred model is possible.

New major and trace element and Sr, Nd, and Pb isotope data, together with 39Ar-40Ar ages for lavas from the extinct Galapagos Rise spreading center in the eastern Pacific reveal the evolution in magma compositions erupted during slowdown and after the end of active spreading at a mid-ocean ridge. Lavas erupted at 9.2 Ma, immediately prior to the end of spreading are incompatible element depleted mid-ocean ridge tholeiitic basalts, whereas progressively younger (7.5 to 5.7 Ma) postspreading lavas are increasingly alkalic, have higher concentrations of incompatible elements, higher La/Yb, K/Ti, 87Sr/86Sr, and lower 143Nd/144Nd ratios and were produced by smaller degrees of mantle melting. The large, correlated variations in trace element and isotope compositions can only be explained by melting of heterogenous mantle, in which incompatible trace element enriched lithologies preferentially contribute to smaller degree mantle melts. The effects of variable degrees of melting of heterogeneous mantle on lava compositions must be taken into account when using mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) to infer the conditions of melting beneath active spreading ridges. For example, the stronger "garnet signature" inferred from Sm/Nd and 143Nd/144Nd ratios for postspreading lavas from the Galapagos Rise results from a larger contribution from enriched lithologies with high La/Yb and Sm/Yb, rather than from a greater proportion of melting in the stability field of garnet peridotite. Correlations between ridge depth and Sm/Yb and fractionation-corrected Na concentrations in MORB worldwide could result from variations in mantle fertility and/or variations in the average degree of melting, rather than from large variations in mantle temperature. If more fertile mantle lithologies are preferentially melted beneath active spreading ridges, then the upper mantle may be significantly more "depleted" than is generally inferred from the compositions of MORB.

PCB signatures can be used for source identification, exposure studies, age dating and bio-monitoring. This study uses comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GCxGC-ToFMS) to produce a PCB signature comprised of over 80 PCBs for individual Leach's storm petrels (Oceanodroma leucorhoa). The Leach's storm petrel is a relatively small, elusive, understudied pelagic bird, which only returns to remote islands under darkness during the breeding season. Samples were obtained from 25 Leach's storm petrels found dead in Canada and the UK following storm events in 2006 and 2009. Tissue samples were extracted and analysed by GCxGC-ToFMS and results showed that 83 PCB congeners were present in >60% of samples. An assessment of the PCB signature in four different tissue types showed that it did not vary greatly in samples obtained from the gut, heart, liver and stomach. Multivariate statistical analysis identified a distinctive PCB signature in birds from Canada and Europe which was used to identify the regional provenance and transatlantic movement of individual birds. The findings showcase the ability of GCxGC-ToFMS to provide the high quality congener specific analysis that is necessary for PCB fingerprinting, as well as highlighting the potential of PCB signatures for use in ecological studies of movement, foraging and behaviour. PMID:25113202

New high resolution mapping with an EM302 multibeam system and seafloor observations made with the Little Hercules remotely operated vehicle (ROV) during the July 2011 GALREX expedition have discovered a very recent eruption along Segment III (Christie et al., 2005) centered at 88 deg 19.5'W on the eastern Galapagos spreading center (GSC). The site was chosen for detailed study after a water column survey using a towed CTD package identified intense particle plumes rising up to 250m above seafloor along the entire segment (see abstracts by Baker et al. and Holden et al., this meeting). The segment is characterized by ridge-and-valley terrain with the most recent neovolcanic ridge extending, respectively, 25 km west and 20 km east of a central low-relief area that is quasi-circular, ~2 km radius, less than 30 m high. The neovolcanic ridge, revealed by the EM302 bathymetry to be a generally hummocky edifice less than 1 km wide and under ~40 m high, is cut by a very small axial graben barely resolved in the EM302 bathymetry. Two areas were surveyed during five ROV dives, four on the central area near 88 deg 18.5'W and one dive at 14 km east at 88 deg 10.8'W. A third high intensity plume target near the western extremity of the segment at 88 deg 27.2'W was not investigated using the ROV. The recent lobate and pillow lava flows were emplaced in narrow grabens along and adjacent to the neovolcanic ridge. In several places, the flow was observed to fill the axial graben. It is likely that the flow thickness ranges from meters to 10's of meters, depending upon the pre-eruption graben size and local effusion variations. However, no long, channel-fed lava flows were found. Flow boundaries based on preliminary ROV navigation average less than 100 meters across-axis. The lobate lavas all had a very similar glassy appearance and negligible sediment cover, making them easy to recognize amid the surrounding, older flows. The age of these lavas appeared visually younger than the

Seabirds are considered highly mobile, able to fly great distances with few apparent barriers to dispersal. However, it is often the case that seabird populations exhibit strong population genetic structure despite their potential vagility. Here we show that Galapagos Nazca booby (Sula granti) populations are substantially differentiated, even within the small geographic scale of this archipelago. On the other hand, Galapagos great frigatebird (Fregata minor) populations do not show any genetic structure. We characterized the genetic differentiation by sampling five colonies of both species in the Galapagos archipelago and analyzing eight microsatellite loci and three mitochondrial genes. Using an F-statistic approach on the multilocus data, we found significant differentiation between nearly all island pairs of Nazca booby populations and a Bayesian clustering analysis provided support for three distinct genetic clusters. Mitochondrial DNA showed less differentiation of Nazca booby colonies; only Nazca boobies from the island of Darwin were significantly differentiated from individuals throughout the rest of the archipelago. Great frigatebird populations showed little to no evidence for genetic differentiation at the same scale. Only two island pairs (Darwin – Wolf, N. Seymour – Wolf) were significantly differentiated using the multilocus data, and only two island pairs had statistically significant φST values (N. Seymour – Darwin, N. Seymour – Wolf) according to the mitochondrial data. There was no significant pattern of isolation by distance for either species calculated using both markers. Seven of the ten Nazca booby migration rates calculated between island pairs were in the south or southeast to north or northwest direction. The population differentiation found among Galapagos Nazca booby colonies, but not great frigatebird colonies, is most likely due to differences in natal and breeding philopatry. PMID:23170212

Seabirds are considered highly mobile, able to fly great distances with few apparent barriers to dispersal. However, it is often the case that seabird populations exhibit strong population genetic structure despite their potential vagility. Here we show that Galapagos Nazca booby (Sula granti) populations are substantially differentiated, even within the small geographic scale of this archipelago. On the other hand, Galapagos great frigatebird (Fregata minor) populations do not show any genetic structure. We characterized the genetic differentiation by sampling five colonies of both species in the Galapagos archipelago and analyzing eight microsatellite loci and three mitochondrial genes. Using an F-statistic approach on the multilocus data, we found significant differentiation between nearly all island pairs of Nazca booby populations and a Bayesian clustering analysis provided support for three distinct genetic clusters. Mitochondrial DNA showed less differentiation of Nazca booby colonies; only Nazca boobies from the island of Darwin were significantly differentiated from individuals throughout the rest of the archipelago. Great frigatebird populations showed little to no evidence for genetic differentiation at the same scale. Only two island pairs (Darwin - Wolf, N. Seymour - Wolf) were significantly differentiated using the multilocus data, and only two island pairs had statistically significant φ(ST) values (N. Seymour - Darwin, N. Seymour - Wolf) according to the mitochondrial data. There was no significant pattern of isolation by distance for either species calculated using both markers. Seven of the ten Nazca booby migration rates calculated between island pairs were in the south or southeast to north or northwest direction. The population differentiation found among Galapagos Nazca booby colonies, but not great frigatebird colonies, is most likely due to differences in natal and breeding philopatry. PMID:23170212

The distribution of resources and food selection are fundamental to the ecology, life history, physiology, population dynamics, and conservation of animals. Introduced plants are changing foraging dynamics of herbivores in many ecosystems often with unknown consequences. Galapagos tortoises, like many herbivores, undertake migrations along elevation gradients driven by variability in vegetation productivity which take them into upland areas dominated by introduced plants. We sought to characterize diet composition of two species of Galapagos tortoises, focussing on how the role of introduced forage species changes over space and the implications for tortoise conservation. We quantified the distribution of tortoises with elevation using GPS telemetry. Along the elevation gradient, we quantified the abundance of introduced and native plant species, estimated diet composition by recording foods consumed by tortoises, and assessed tortoise physical condition from body weights and blood parameter values. Tortoises ranged between 0 and 429 m in elevation over which they consumed at least 64 plant species from 26 families, 44 percent of which were introduced species. Cover of introduced species and the proportion of introduced species in tortoise diets increased with elevation. Introduced species were positively selected for by tortoises at all elevations. Tortoise physical condition was either consistent or increased with elevation at the least biologically productive season on Galapagos. Santa Cruz tortoises are generalist herbivores that have adapted their feeding behavior to consume many introduced plant species that has likely made a positive contribution to tortoise nutrition. Some transformed habitats that contain an abundance of introduced forage species are compatible with tortoise conservation.

The dredges from the East Pacific Rise at about 10°S recovered unusual transitional, light rare-earth element (LREE) enriched basalts which show a range of fractionation. On the basis of their chemical and isotopic abundances, it is unlikely that the lavas are related by a single simple process of magmatic differentiation. We suggest that the mantle source region of these basalts was chemically and isotopically heterogeneous. The chemistry of LREE-depleted tholeiitic basalt dredged from near the axis of the extinct Galapagos Rise indicates complex petrogenesis and differentiation. The presence of tholeiitic basalts here indicates that unlike the Guadalupe and Mathematician fossil ridges, the Galapagos Rise has not been the site of voluminous post-abandonment alkalic volcanism. Alkalic basalts of picritic bulk composition dredged from an elongate seamount near the Galapagos Rise do not represent liquid compositions. Instead, we suggest that these alkalic liquids contain added olivine and plagioclase xenocrysts. Although most of the samples analyzed are very fresh, a few have been altered. The latter exhibit characteristic chemical and isotopic effects of seawater alteration.

We mist-netted and examined Leach’s Storm-Petrels Oceanodroma leucorhoa (LESP) caught during 1991–2015 at three locations in the California Channel Islands (CCI): Prince Island, Santa Barbara-Sutil islands and Scorpion Rock. Although mist-netting methods and effort varied between two study periods (1991–1995, 2004–2007 and 2015), during 750 h effort we captured 41 LESP during April–August, with two of these recaptured after initial banding. The majority (78%) were classified as likely breeders based on a well-developed incubation patch. We summarize island-specific efforts, capture rates and morphological measurements made at these three CCI locations. Captured LESP displayed a multimodal distribution in the overall degree of white rump plumage, with 28% classified as mostly “dark-rumped.” The majority of LESP (72%) captured in the CCI have variable white rumps, similar to what has been reported for northern California and the Farallon Islands. However, the relative proportions of “dark-rumped” individuals captured in the northern CCI is intermediate, within the shift starting at the Farallon Islands and increasing in prevalence toward the San Benito Islands, Baja California. More remains to be learned about LESP in the CCI, for which additional mist-netting efforts are needed, using a standardized approach that targets LESP.

This study analyzes SKS and SKKS waveforms recorded on the BOLIVAR array in Venezuela and the BANJO array in South America from earthquake sources located in Tonga and Alaska regions to characterize the lower mantle beneath the Galapagos Islands. The data analysis applies two independent methods, residual differential SKKS-SKS travel times and anisotropy measurements, to examine the historically unsampled region. The residual differential travel time observations were performed using 21 earthquakes from the Tonga trench with magnitudes greater than 5.5 Mw that were recorded on the Bolivar array. Only data that was deemed to have a high SNR for both the SKS and SKKS phases were retained for analysis. Significant positive values of differential travel time that indicate low velocity along the SKKS raypaths are detected east of ~\\m270° longitude. The anisotropy data set consists of 31 intermediate and deep focus earthquakes from the Tonga and Aleutian trenches recorded on the BOLIVAR and BANJO arrays respectively. The anisotropy fast axis angle and time lag of the two phases are calculated using the 1-layer cross-convolution method of Menke and Levin (2003) with a maximum time lag window of 3 seconds. We retain results with an amplitude normalized squared L2 norm value of 0.6 or less for analysis. Because the raypaths of the SKS and SKKS phases are similar in the upper mantle and sample different regions of the lower mantle, we attribute inconsistencies between the two anisotropy to difference of the mantle structure near the CMB. We define significant difference in the azimuth of the fast axis as any difference between the SKSac and SKKSac measurements greater than 15 degrees. The dataset is dominated by inconsistent fast axis azimuth measurements between the SKSac and SKKSac phases, but does not isolate a single geographic region. Comparison of the splitting time measurements yields that inconsistency between the two phases is more significant, greater than 0.5 s

Imaging spatial and temporal seismic source variations at Sierra Negra Volcano, Galapagos Islands using back-projection methods Cyndi Kelly1, Jesse F. Lawrence1, Cindy Ebinger2 1Stanford University, Department of Geophysics, 397 Panama Mall, Stanford, CA 94305, USA 2University of Rochester, Department of Earth and Environmental Science, 227 Hutchison Hall, Rochester, NY 14627, USA Low-magnitude seismic signals generated by processes that characterize volcanic and hydrothermal systems and their plumbing networks are difficult to observe remotely. Seismic records from these systems tend to be extremely 'noisy', making it difficult to resolve 3D subsurface structures using traditional seismic methods. Easily identifiable high-amplitude bursts within the noise that might be suitable for use with traditional seismic methods (i.e. eruptions) tend to occur relatively infrequently compared to the length of an entire eruptive cycle. Furthermore, while these impulsive events might help constrain the dynamics of a particular eruption, they shed little insight into the mechanisms that occur throughout an entire eruption sequence. It has been shown, however, that the much more abundant low-amplitude seismic 'noise' in these records (i.e. volcanic or geyser 'tremor') actually represents a series of overlapping low-magnitude displacements that can be directly linked to magma, fluid, and volatile movement at depth. This 'noisy' data therefore likely contains valuable information about the processes occurring in the volcanic or hydrothermal system before, during and after eruption events. In this study, we present a new method to comprehensively study how the seismic source distribution of all events - including micro-events - evolves during different phases of the eruption sequence of Sierra Negra Volcano in the Galapagos Islands. We apply a back-projection search algorithm to image sources of seismic 'noise' at Sierra Negra Volcano during a proposed intrusion event. By analyzing

Marine turtles are well known for their navigation ability in the open ocean and fidelity to nesting beaches. Green turtle adult females migrate from foraging areas to island nesting beaches, traveling hundreds or thousands of kilometers each way. The marine turtle breeding in the Galapagos Islands is the Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas agassisi); fairly common throughout the islands but with nesting sites located at Las Bachas (Santa Cruz), Barahona and Quinta Playa (Isabela), Salinas (Baltra), Gardner Bay (Española) and Bartolomé Islet. In order to characterize and to identify the geochemical signature of nesting marine turtle beaches in Galapagos Islands, sedimentological, geochemical and rock magnetic parameters are used. A total of one hundred and twenty sand samples were collected in four beaches to relate compositional characteristics between equivalent areas, these are: Las Bachas, Salinas, Barahona and Quinta Playa. Grain size is evaluated using laser particle analysis (Model Coulter LS 230). Bulk ICP-MS geochemical analysis is performed, following trace elements are analyzed: Al, V, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Ba, Pb, Fe, Mn, K, Na, Mg, Sr, Ca and Hg; and low-field magnetic susceptibility is measured in all samples at low and high frequencies. Granulometric analysis showed that Barahona and Quinta Playa are characterized for fine grained sands. In contrast, Salinas and Las Bachas exhibit medium to coarse sands. Trace metals concentrations and magnetic susceptibility show different distribution patterns in the beach sands. Calcium is the most abundant element in the samples. In particular, Co, K, and Na show similar concentrations in the four beaches. Las Bachas beach shows highest concentrations of Pb and Hg (maximum values 101.1 and 118.5 mg/kg, respectively), we suggest that the enrichment corresponds to an anthropogenic signal. Salinas beach samples show high concentrations of Fe, V, Cr, Zn, Mn and the highest values of magnetic susceptibility (maximum

We present here the complete paleomagnetic laboratory results from a collection of approximately 1500 oriented cores from all 16 of the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, collected by Allan Cox in 1964–1965 but nearly all previously unpublished. The islands are located in the eastern Pacific Ocean within 1.4° of latitude from the equator and range in age from historically erupted to 3 Ma, mostly determined by published K-Ar and 3He isotopic dating. The number of sites collected on each island ranges from 1 to 28, for a total of 186. After combining duplicate site mean directions, 149 are used for an overall mean direction and 8 represent excursions and one reversal path. Divided by geomagnetic polarity chron, 110 site means are Brunhes or Jaramillo (normal polarity), 27 are Matuyama (reversed polarity), and 12 are Gauss (both polarities). We have completed the magnetic cleaning that was commenced in the late 1960s. Secondary (mostly viscous) magnetizations were nearly all removed by alternating field demagnetization at 10 mT. We have used the so-called blanket cleaning method, generally at 10 mT. All sites were in basalt flows and gave good paleomagnetic results; none was rejected in toto, and only a few core specimens were magnetically unsatisfactory. Nearly all sites had eight independently oriented cores, and within-site angular standard deviations of directions range from 1° to 8°. We used both Fisher and Bingham statistics to analyze the data and found that many of the direction populations are strongly elongate along the paleomagnetic meridian, while the corresponding virtual pole (VGP) populations are essentially circularly distributed. The paleomagnetic poles, calculated as the means of VGPs, are as follows: Brunhes and Jaramillo, north latitude = 86.9°, east longitude = 245.1°, and 95% confidence radius A95 = 1.9°; Matuyama, latitude = 87.2°, longitude = 158.2°, and A95 = 3.8°; Gauss, latitude = 83.0°, longitude = 204.7°, and A95 = 7.0°. These

During the 2010 R/V Melville MV1007 cruise, a large submarine bank was discovered and mapped, immediately southwest of Isla Marchena, at the northern margin of the Galapagos Platform. The seamount was surveyed using EM122 multibeam bathymetry and MR1 sidescan sonar. It is elongate with a northeast-southwest orientation and extends 38km and is 18km wide. The calculated volume of the edifice is approximately 200 km3. The orientation and elongate shape of the seamount is similar to other structures in the northern Galapagos, suggesting that it may have originated by the coalescing of two or more eruptive centers originating from NW-SE fissures. The seamount has a relatively flat top with a very steep (23-28 degrees) southwestern slope and a shallower (˜6 degrees) northeastern slope. The origins of the steep southwestern flank are unclear but could be attributed to mass wasting, possibly coupled with post-constructional faulting. The gentler northeastern slope is comparable to the morphology of seamounts in the surrounding area. Sidescan sonar images show areas of high reflectivity on the eastern and northern margin where there are local bathymetric highs. A low relief swath on the western portion shows low reflectivity. The tow cam images show flow margins with varying degrees of sediment cover. Dredging at three sites on the southeastern edge of the seamount recovered basaltic lava with compositions similar to Isla Marchena. One dredge taken from a local high on the southeast part of the bank (530-430 m) recovered eight rock fragments that are rounded and fluted, possibly indicating shoreline erosion. The weathered rocks and the broad flat top of the seamount suggest that at least part of the bank is a submerged island, but this will need to be studied further. The size and extent of the bank makes it important in terms of subsurface current movement and nutrient upwelling. In order to assess this, a study of the sea surface chlorophyll and nutrient levels using

Species endemic to hydrothermal vent environments face difficult ecological and evolutionary conditions, especially since vent sites are irregularly distributed in space and ephemeral. Theoretical predictions for an optimal life history for an endemic organism may not be matched by one of the vent community's prominent species, the vestimentiferan Riftia pachyptila. Population samples were collected by submersible from vent sites along the Galapagos Rift and at 21°N along the East Pacific Rise. Allozymes were used to examine the population genetics of R. pachyptila, including the estimation of genetic variability of the species and differentiation of populations at different vent sites. For the 13 enzyme loci assayed by starch-gel electrophoresis, 31% were polymorphic. Heterozygosity was low: 1.5%. Genetic divergence between samples from the two regions was small but significant: genetic distance, Nei's D, was 0.008 and Wright's measure of variance partitioning, FST = 0.025 ( p < 0.05) after correction for small sample sizes. Genotypic frequencies also provided evidence of the differentiation of populations: there was a deficiency of one class of heterozygotes ( Pgm-1 98/100) in the pooled samples. The slight genetic differentiation may result from low genetic variability, which may prevent the use of allozymes as markers of gene flow. Endemic vent species may experience bottlenecks during colonization of new vent sites and extinction as vents become inactive. Low variability is a predictable outcome of repeated bouts of colonization and extinction, during which the effects of random genetic drift may rapidly decrease genetic variability.

The geomagnetic field is predominantly dipolar today, and high-fidelity paleomagnetic mean directions from all over the globe strongly support the geocentric axial dipole (GAD) hypothesis for the past few million years. However, the bulk of paleointensity data fails to coincide with the axial dipole prediction of a factor-of-2 equator-to-pole increase in mean field strength, leaving the core dynamo process an enigma. Here, we obtain a multidomain-corrected Pliocene–Pleistocene average paleointensity of 21.6 ± 11.0 µT recorded by 27 lava flows from the Galapagos Archipelago near the Equator. Our new result in conjunction with a published comprehensive study of single-domain–behaved paleointensities from Antarctica (33.4 ± 13.9 µT) that also correspond to GAD directions suggests that the overall average paleomagnetic field over the past few million years has indeed been dominantly dipolar in intensity yet only ∼60% of the present-day field strength, with a long-term average virtual axial dipole magnetic moment of the Earth of only 4.9 ± 2.4 × 1022 A⋅m2. PMID:26598664

The geomagnetic field is predominantly dipolar today, and high-fidelity paleomagnetic mean directions from all over the globe strongly support the geocentric axial dipole (GAD) hypothesis for the past few million years. However, the bulk of paleointensity data fails to coincide with the axial dipole prediction of a factor-of-2 equator-to-pole increase in mean field strength, leaving the core dynamo process an enigma. Here, we obtain a multidomain-corrected Pliocene-Pleistocene average paleointensity of 21.6 ± 11.0 µT recorded by 27 lava flows from the Galapagos Archipelago near the Equator. Our new result in conjunction with a published comprehensive study of single-domain-behaved paleointensities from Antarctica (33.4 ± 13.9 µT) that also correspond to GAD directions suggests that the overall average paleomagnetic field over the past few million years has indeed been dominantly dipolar in intensity yet only ∼ 60% of the present-day field strength, with a long-term average virtual axial dipole magnetic moment of the Earth of only 4.9 ± 2.4 × 10(22) A ⋅ m(2). PMID:26598664

One of the most familiar features of the natural world is that most animals and plants fall into distinct categories known as species. The attempt to understand the nature of species and the origin of new species was the enterprise that drove the early development of evolutionary biology and has continued to be a major focus of research. Individuals belonging to the same species usually share a distinctive appearance and way of life, and they can mate together successfully and produce viable offspring. New species may evolve, therefore, either through ecological divergence or through sexual isolation. The balance between these processes will depend on the extent of hybridization, especially in the early stages of divergence. Detecting and measuring hybridization in natural populations, however, requires intensive, long-term field programmes that are seldom undertaken, leaving a gap in our understanding of species formation. The finch community of a small, isolated island in the Galapagos provided an opportunity to discover how frequently hybridization takes place between closely related species in a pristine location, and Peter Grant's paper, published in Philosophical Transactions B in 1993, reports the observations that he and his collaborators made during the first 20 years of what is now one of the classical studies of evolution in action. This commentary was written to celebrate the 350th anniversary of the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society. PMID:25750230

Nesoryzomys swarthi, the most endangered of the three surviving, endemic Galapagos "rice rats," was only discovered in the early 20th Century and was considered extinct until its rediscovery in 1997 at a north-central coastal location on Isla Santiago. Potential threats to the entire genus include invasive rodent species, feral cats, new diseases, and climate change. These threats have been the basis for conservation breeding recommendations (as yet unmet) by several observers during the last several decades. This paper considers likely dietary requirements of N. swarthi in light of recent studies on the ecology of this species plus new data on the nutrient composition of Opuntia galapageia (a "resource refuge" for this species) and circulating vitamin values of animals sampled on Isla Santiago. It is concluded that, despite some unusually high mineral values for O. galapageia, a diet for N. swarthi under human care should be the same as it is for most other rodents, noting some caution in regard to possible needs for mineral and/or protein adjustment. PMID:22553176

Over the last decades, the corticosterone stress response has been suggested as a major physiological tool to understand what strategy an individual might adopt in response to environmental perturbations. More recently, another hormone related to parental care--prolactin--has been suggested as a complementary tool to investigate this question. Indeed, both of these hormones are affected by stressors and are involved in parental decisions, such as deserting the nest. Because of these similarities, it remains unclear what the functional distinction between the prolactin and corticosterone stress responses is. Here, we investigated whether natural variations of the corticosterone and prolactin stress responses are functionally linked in free-living Cape petrel (Daption capense) parents. If prolactin and corticosterone mediate the same functional response to a stressor and are the proxies of the same response, we predict that corticosterone and prolactin stress responses (1) will be modulated according to the same factors; (2) will affect reproductive performances in the same way; and, (3) of course, will be correlated. Contrary to these predictions, we found that the corticosterone and prolactin stress responses were respectively modulated according to body condition and breeding status. Moreover, prolactin levels, but not corticosterone levels, were related to hatching success in this species. Finally, we did not find any significant correlation between these two stress responses under any circumstances (failed breeders, incubating or chick rearing birds) and this result was overall supported by a review of the existing literature. Therefore, these two stress responses do not seem to be tightly linked and we believe that they may provide complementary pieces of information on parental investment in birds. PMID:23142160

Analytical methods that apply coalescent theory to multilocus data have improved inferences of demographic parameters that are critical to understanding population divergence and speciation. In particular, at the early stages of speciation, it is important to implement models that accommodate conflicting gene trees, and benefit from the presence of shared polymorphisms. Here, we employ eleven nuclear loci and the mitochondrial control region to investigate the phylogeography and historical demography of the pelagic seabird White-faced Storm-petrel (Pelagodroma marina) by sampling subspecies across its antitropical distribution. Groups are all highly differentiated: global mitochondrial ΦST = 0.89 (P < 0.01) and global nuclear ΦST varies between 0.22 and 0.83 (all P < 0.01). The complete lineage sorting of the mitochondrial locus between hemispheres is corroborated by approximately half of the nuclear genealogies, suggesting a long-term antitropical divergence in isolation. Coalescent-based estimates of demographic parameters suggest that hemispheric divergence of P. marina occurred approximately 840 000 ya (95% HPD 582 000-1 170 000), in the absence of gene flow, and divergence within the Southern Hemisphere occurred 190 000 ya (95% HPD 96 000-600 000), both probably associated with the profound palaeo-oceanographic changes of the Pleistocene. A fledgling sampled in St Helena (tropical South Atlantic) suggests recent colonization from the Northern Hemisphere. Despite the great potential for long-distance dispersal, P. marina antitropical groups have been evolving as independent, allopatric lineages, and divergence is probably maintained by philopatry coupled with asynchronous reproductive phenology and local adaptation. PMID:25903359

Nearly one-fifth of the global mid-ocean ridge is hotspot-affected, yet very little is known about how hotspots affect quantity and distribution of high-temperature hydrothermal vents along the ridge. During the 2005-06 GalAPAGoS expedition, acoustic and plume sensor surveys were conducted across the Galapagos ridge- hotspot intersection, lon. 94.5ºW- lon. 89.5ºW, to map fine scale geologic features and locate hydrothermal plumes emanating from the ridge crest. Where significant plumes were detected, the Medea fiber-optic camera sled was used successfully to find and image high-temperature vents on the seafloor. With Medea we discovered and imaged the first active and recently extinct black smokers known along the entire Galapagos Spreading Center (GSC), and documented the geologic setting of these vents. The Medea survey imaged numerous inactive vents as well as 3 active high-temperature vent fields along the ridge at 94º 04.5'W (Navidad Site), 91º56.2'W (Iguanas Site) and 91º54.3'W (Pinguinos Site). Two recently extinct vent fields also were identified at 91º23.4'-23.7'W and 91º13.8'W. All of the high-temperature vent sites that we identified along the GSC are found above relatively shallow AMC reflectors and are located in the middle 20% of ridge segments. Without exception the vent sites are located along fissures atop constructional axial volcanic ridges (AVR's) composed of relatively young pillow basalts. In some cases, the vents were associated with collapses adjacent to the fissures. The fissures appear to be eruptive sources of the pillow lavas comprising the AVR's. Video images of the chimneys show mature, cylindrical structures, up to 14m high; little diffuse flow; few animals; and some worm casts and dead clam shells, suggesting prior habitation. We conclude that distribution of the vents is controlled by magmatic processes, (i.e., by locations of shallow AMC magma reservoirs and eruptive fissures above dike intrusions), and that there is

The 228Ra/226Ra ratios in a previously dated vesicomyid clam shell were used to determine that seawater was in contact with mid-oceanic-ridge basalt glass for 22-45 years prior to arrival to the surface at 350°C at the Galapagos Rise Spreading Center. The minimum rate of reaction for the 45-year sojourn time, based on a water/rock ratio of 2.8 derived from 226Ra concentrations, is 8 g of basalt altered per kg of seawater per year. PMID:16593746

The life history of the whale shark (Rhincodon typus), including its reproductive ecology, still remains largely unknown. Here, we present results from the first whale shark population study around Darwin Island, Galapagos Marine Reserve. Following a diversified approach we characterized seasonal occurrence, population structure and size, and described habitat use of whale sharks based on fine scale movements around the island. Whale shark presence at Darwin Island was negatively correlated with Sea Surface Temperature (SST), with highest abundance corresponding to a cool season between July and December over six years of monitoring. From 2011 to 2013 we photo-identified 82 whale sharks ranging from 4 to 13.1 m Total Length (TL). Size distribution was bimodal, with a great majority (91.5%) of adult female individuals averaging 11.35 m±0.12 m (TL±SE), all but one showing signs of a potential pregnancy. Population dynamics models for apparently pregnant sharks estimated the presence of 3.76±0.90 (mean ± SE) sharks in the study area per day with an individual residence time of 2.09±0.51 (mean ± SE) days. Movement patterns analysis of four apparently pregnant individuals tracked with acoustic tags at Darwin Island revealed an intense use of Darwin's Arch, where no feeding or specific behavior has been recorded, together with periodic excursions around the island's vicinity. Sharks showed a preference for intermediate depths (20–30 m) with occasional dives mostly to mid-water, remaining the majority of their time at water temperatures between 24–25°C. All of our results point to Darwin Island as an important stopover in a migration, possibly with reproductive purposes, rather than an aggregation site. Current studies carried out in this area to investigate regional scale movement patterns may provide essential information about possible pupping grounds for this enigmatic species. PMID:25551553

Heat transfer processes at the mounds area of the Galapagos Spreading Center at 86°W are revealed by temperatures measured at ≈ 10-m intervals in the 30±10m sediment at each of 12 holes at DSDP Leg 70 Sites 506-509 and by temperatures of up to five thermistors on eleven 8-12 m long piston cores. The 325 needle-probe values show a significant linear increase of thermal conductivity with depth in each core. About half of the temperature-thermal resistance profiles are nonlinear and are fit to a steady state, vertical pore water advection model. Results indicate high and variable total heat flow and localized hydrothermal discharge at ≈ 10-8 m/s, associated with individual mounds. Recharge is indicated at similar rates in the low heat flow belt ≈ 5 km south of the mounds and is suggested at slower rates in the intermediate heat flow (0.17-0.42 W/m2) belt surrounding the mounds heat flow high. Possible slow entrained recharge within ≈ 100 m of discharging mounds is suggested. Also suggested is strong local discharge along the major fault bounding the mounds crustal block to the north. About 95 km north of the spreading axis, at DSDP Site 510, temperatures in the 114-m sediment cover on 2.7-m.y. crust are linear, consistent with the suggestion that the hydraulic resistance of this layer is sufficient to seal off free hydrothermal exchange between basement and bottom water. The combination of heat flow data and the physical properties data of Karato and Becker (this issue) suggests that ≈ 50 m of sediment may be a threshold thickness for sealing of hydrothermal circulation within basement, where the topography is smooth. We suggest that the formation of mounds may be associated with the forced localization of hydrothermal discharge through the sediment, as its thickness approaches this threshold value.

Morphological features correlate with many life history traits and are therefore of high interest to behavioral and evolutionary biologists. Photogrammetry provides a useful tool to collect morphological data from species for which measurements are otherwise difficult to obtain. This method reduces disturbance and avoids capture stress. Using the Galapagos sea lion (Zalophus wollebaeki) as a model system, we tested the applicability of single-camera photogrammetry in combination with laser distance measurement to estimate morphological traits which may vary with an animal’s body position. We assessed whether linear morphological traits estimated by photogrammetry can be used to estimate body length and mass. We show that accurate estimates of body length (males: ±2.0%, females: ±2.6%) and reliable estimates of body mass are possible (males: ±6.8%, females: 14.5%). Furthermore, we developed correction factors that allow the use of animal photos that diverge somewhat from a flat-out position. The product of estimated body length and girth produced sufficiently reliable estimates of mass to categorize individuals into 10 kg-classes of body mass. Data of individuals repeatedly photographed within one season suggested relatively low measurement errors (body length: 2.9%, body mass: 8.1%). In order to develop accurate sex- and age-specific correction factors, a sufficient number of individuals from both sexes and from all desired age classes have to be captured for baseline measurements. Given proper validation, this method provides an excellent opportunity to collect morphological data for large numbers of individuals with minimal disturbance. PMID:24987983

The life history of the whale shark (Rhincodon typus), including its reproductive ecology, still remains largely unknown. Here, we present results from the first whale shark population study around Darwin Island, Galapagos Marine Reserve. Following a diversified approach we characterized seasonal occurrence, population structure and size, and described habitat use of whale sharks based on fine scale movements around the island. Whale shark presence at Darwin Island was negatively correlated with Sea Surface Temperature (SST), with highest abundance corresponding to a cool season between July and December over six years of monitoring. From 2011 to 2013 we photo-identified 82 whale sharks ranging from 4 to 13.1 m Total Length (TL). Size distribution was bimodal, with a great majority (91.5%) of adult female individuals averaging 11.35 m±0.12 m (TL±SE), all but one showing signs of a potential pregnancy. Population dynamics models for apparently pregnant sharks estimated the presence of 3.76±0.90 (mean ± SE) sharks in the study area per day with an individual residence time of 2.09±0.51 (mean ± SE) days. Movement patterns analysis of four apparently pregnant individuals tracked with acoustic tags at Darwin Island revealed an intense use of Darwin's Arch, where no feeding or specific behavior has been recorded, together with periodic excursions around the island's vicinity. Sharks showed a preference for intermediate depths (20-30 m) with occasional dives mostly to mid-water, remaining the majority of their time at water temperatures between 24-25°C. All of our results point to Darwin Island as an important stopover in a migration, possibly with reproductive purposes, rather than an aggregation site. Current studies carried out in this area to investigate regional scale movement patterns may provide essential information about possible pupping grounds for this enigmatic species. PMID:25551553

Recruitment panels were placed at and near hydrothermal vent communities at three sites on the Galapagos spreading center and one site on the East Pacific Rise at 21°N. Deployment periods ranged from 26 days (Clam Acres, 21°N) to 260-320 days (Rose Garden, Garden of Eden, Mussel Bed, GSC) to 1216 days (Clam Acres). Recruitment of gastropod post-larvae and juveniles was observed on arrays deployed at Clam Acres for 26 days. Regardless of length of deployment, populations of polychaetes, mollusks, and barnacles colonizing the panels were predominantly post-larval, juvenile, or sub-adult stages. We suggest that some combination of competition, migration, and predation maintains these populations in immature stages. Size distributions of individuals within a taxon on panels deployed for 1216 days are broad, suggesting intermittent or continuous recruitment in many of the vent-associated species rather than a single episodic recruitment event. Folliculinid and foraminiferan protozoans were the most abundant eucaryotic organisms colonizing long-term deployments at Clam Acres. On the Galapagos spreading center, level of recruitment differed among the vent sites, with Rose Garden > Garden of Eden ≫ Mussel Bed. Recruitment of vent-associated species was greater on panels placed within vent communities compared to panels placed adjacent to these communities. This observation is consistent with the maintenance of vent communities in discrete regions of hydrothermal flux.

Differences in axial lava morphology along the Galapagos Spreading Center (GSC) can indicate variations in magma supply and emplacement dynamics due to the influence of the adjacent Galapagos hot spot. Unfortunately, the ability to discriminate fine-scale lava morphology has historically been limited to observations of the small coverage areas of towed camera surveys and submersible operations. This research presents a neuro-fuzzy approach to automated seafloor classification using spatially coincident, high-resolution bathymetry and backscatter data. The classification method implements a Sugeno-type fuzzy inference system trained by a multi-layered adaptive neural network and is capable of rapidly classifying seafloor morphology based on attributes of surface geometry and texture. The system has been applied to the 92°W segment of the western GSC in order to quantify coverage areas and distributions of pillow, lobate, and sheet lava morphology. An accuracy assessment has been performed on the classification results. The resulting classified maps provide a high-resolution view of GSC axial morphology and indicate the study area terrain is approximately 40% pillow flows, 40% lobate and sheet flows, and 10% fissured or faulted area, with about 10% of the study area unclassifiable. Fine-scale features such as eruptive fissures, tumuli, and individual pillowed lava flow fronts are also visible. Although this system has been applied to lava morphology, its design and implementation are applicable to other undersea mapping applications.

Though nearly one-fifth of the mid-ocean ridge (MOR) lies on or near hotspots, it has been debated whether hotspots increase or decrease MOR hydrothermal flux, or affect vent biota. Despite hotspot enhancement of melt supply, high-temperature vent plumes are enigmatically sparse along two previously-surveyed ridge- hotspot intersections [Reykjanes Ridge (RR), Southeast Indian Ridge (SEIR)]. This has been attributed to crustal thickening by excess volcanism. During the 2005-06 GalAPAGoS expedition, we conducted nested sonar, plume, and camera surveys along a 540 km-long portion of the Galapagos Spreading Center (GSC) where the ridge intersects the Galapagos hotspot at lon. 94.5 -89.5 deg. W. Although MOR hydrothermal springs were first found along the eastern GSC crest in 1977 near lon. 86 deg. W, the GalAPAGoS smokers are the first active high-temperature vents to be found anywhere along the Cocos-Nazca plate boundary. Active and/or recently-inactive smokers were located beneath plumes at 5 sites on the seafloor between lon. 91 deg. W and 94.5 deg. W (see Anderson et al., this session) during near-bottom, real-time fiber-optic Medea camera surveys. Smokers occur along eruptive seafloor fissures atop axial volcanic ridges near the middles of ridge segments, mainly in areas underlain by relatively shallow, continuous axial magma chamber (AMC) seismic reflectors. These findings (1) support magmatic, rather than tectonic, control of GSC smoker distribution; (2) demonstrate that thick crust at MOR-hotspot intersections does not prevent high-temperature hydrothermal vents from forming; and, (3) appear to be inconsistent with models suggesting that enhanced hydrothermal cooling causes abrupt deepening of the AMC and transition from non-rifted to rifted GSC morphology near lon. 92.7 deg. W. The widely-spaced smoker sites located on different GSC segments exhibit remarkably similar characteristics and seafloor settings. Most sites are mature or extinct, and are on lava

Clumps of Bathymodiolus thermophilus were collected from three discrete areas at the 'Rose Garden' site on the Galapagos Rift using the deep submersible Alvin. Two mussel collections were made from the central Riftia mass, an area associated with very active venting, and three other collections were of two different peripheral mussel clumps. Before collection the clumps were extensively photographed and the water at two of the 'microhabitats' was analysed in situ for oxygen silica, sulfide and temperature. Sulfide levels of up to 300 μM were recorded at the central collection site, while the highest sulfide level recorded at the peripheral site assayed was 35 μM. Levels of RuBP carboxylase activity in the gills were significantly higher in mussels collected from the central ' Riftia site' than in either peripheral site. ATP sulfurylase was significantly higher in the gills of mussels from the central clump than in one of the peripheral clump collections. The chemical composition (% water, protein, carbohydrate, lipid and ash) and stable carbon isotope ratios ( δ13C) of the mussels showed the same trends, with highest lipid and carbohydrate and the lowest water content and δ13C in the central site mussels. Similarly, the mussels from the central site were significantly depleted in stable nitrogen ( δ15N) when compared with the peripheral site mussels. Variations between sites and tissues of the same animal may be indicative of differential utilization of inorganic or dissolved molecular nitrogen sources. The condition index (CI = soft tissue dry mass / internal shell volume) was similar for all animals collected at Rose Garden. The presence of a commensal polychaete, Branchipolynoe symmytilida, in the mantle cavity of the mussels was also correlated with the collection site, with the highest incidence of occurrence in the central clump. Levels of the enzyme RuBP carboxylase are quite variable in B. thermophilus and are on the average much lower (0

Heat transfer processes at the mounds area of the Galapagos Spreading Center at 86 /sup 0/W are revealed by temperatures measured at roughly-equal10-m intervals in the 30 +- 10 m sediment at each of 12 holes at DSDP Leg 70 Sites 506--509 and by temperatures of up to five thermistors on eleven 8--12 m long piston cores. The 325 needle-probe values show a significant linear increase of thermal conductivity with depth in each core. About half of the temperature-thermal resistance profiles are nonlinear and are fit to a steady state, vertical pore water advection model. Results indicate high and variable total heat flow and localized hydrothermal discharge at roughly-equal10/sup -8/ m/s, associated with individual mounds. Recharge is indicated at similar rates in the low heat flow belt roughly-equal5 km south of the mounds and is suggested at slower rates in the intermediate heat flow (0.17--0.42 W/m/sup 2/) belt surrounding the mounds heat flow high. Possible slow entrained recharge within roughly-equal100 m of discharging mounds is suggested. Also suggested is strong local discharge along the major fault bounding the mounds crustal block to the north. About 95 km north of the spreading axis, at DSDP Site 510, temperatures in the 114-m sediment cover on 2.7-m.y. crust are linear, consistent with the suggestion that the hydraulic resistance of this layer is sufficient to seal off free hydrothermal exchange between basement and bottom water. The combination of heat flow data and the physical properties data of Karato and Becker (this issue) suggests that roughly-equal50 m of sediment may be a threshold thickness for sealing of hydrothermal circulation within basement, where the topography is smooth. We suggest that the formation of mounds may be associated with the forced localization of hydrothermal discharge through the sediment, as its thickness approaches this threshold value.

This dissertation examines contemporary land use and land cover (LULC) change in the communities and protected areas of Isabela Island to provide insights into human-environment interactions in the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador. The growing human presence in Galapagos over the last four decades has been accompanied by significant changes in LULC on inhabited islands in the archipelago. Local stakeholders and decision-makers have recently called for a more integrative approach to understanding interactions between people and the environment in the archipelago. This study is guided by two complementary bodies of work situated within the human-environment tradition of Geography---land change science and landscape ecology. First, support Vector Machine (SVM) and Object Based Image Analysis (OBIA) classifiers are evaluated for mapping LULC from high spatial resolution satellite images. The results show that thematic LULC classifications produced by OBIA are more accurate overall than those generated by SVM. However, important tradeoffs exist between improvements in classification accuracy and processing requirements. The composition and spatial configuration of LULC change are then mapped and quantified from a time series of QuickBird and WorldView-2 satellite images from 2003 to 2010. The pattern metric and change detection analyses reveal that land use change is extensive within the communities due to the expansion and consolidation of built-up areas, and fragmentation of and declines in agriculture. The Galapagos National Park is primarily transformed by exotic plant invasion, forests expansion, and shrinking coastal lagoons. Patterns of agricultural land abandonment, plant invasion, and forest expansion over the same period are described from pattern metric and overlay analyses. Potential drivers of these LULC transitions are identified from logistic regression models, descriptive statistics of agricultural surveys and population censuses, and interviews with

A set of three algorithms named PET2OGS is developed to integrate the static model (Petrel) with the dynamic model (OpenGeoSys). PET2OGS consists of three sub-algorithms that convert finite difference methods (FDMs) grids to finite element methods (FEMs) grids. The algorithms and the workflow of the integration procedures are described in detail. After the proposed algorithms are tested on a variety of grids both in homogeneous and heterogeneous media, the integrated platform of the static and dynamic models is applied to model CO2 storage in a saline aquifer. A successful demonstration of the proposed algorithms proved a robust integration of the platform. With some minor modifications of the algorithms in the part of input and output, the proposed algorithms can be extended to integrate different combinations of FDM-based static models and FEM-based dynamic models beyond the example combination.

A wide range of rock types (abyssal tholeiite, Fe-Ti-rich basalt, andesite, and rhyodacite) were dredged from near 95oW and 85oW on the Galapagos spreading center. Computer modeling of major element compositions has shown that these rocks could be derived from common parental magmas by successive degrees of fractional crystallization. However, the P2O5/K2O ratio implies distinct mantle source compositions for the two areas. These source regions also have different rare earth element (REE) abundance patterns. The sequence of fractionated lavas differs for the two areas and indicates earlier fractionation of apatite and titanomagnetite in the lavas from 95oW. The mantle source regions for these two areas are interpreted to be depleted in incompatible (and volatile?) elements, although the source region beneath 95oW is less severely depleted in La and K. -Authors

Recent volcanic activity in the Galapagos Islands is concentrated on the two westernmost islands, Isla Isabela and Isla Fernandina. Difficult access has thus far prevented comprehensive geological field studies, so we examine the potential of remotely sensed data as a means of studying volcanic processes in the region. Volcan Wolf is used as an example of the analysis of SPOT HRV-1 data undertaken for each volcano. Landsat TM data are analyzed in an attempt to construct a relative age sequence for the recent eruptive activity on Isla Fernandina. No systematic variation in the surface reflectance of lava flows as a function of age could be detected with these data. Thus it was not possible to complete a study of the temporal distribution of volcanic activity.

We report on the petrology and geochemistry of basalts dredged at 40-50 km intervals along the Galapagos Spreading Center, between 83°W and 101°W (40 stations). Emphasis is on spatial variations of `whole rock' major elements, rare earths, trace metals of the first transition series, and the nature of phenocryst assemblages and their abundances. These results provide new constraints on the nature and scale of mantle source heterogeneities, melting conditions, thermal field, and dynamics of crustal formation of the region. We suggest that ridge segments outside the high magnetic amplitude zone are at a steady state as a result of passive seafloor spreading. Basalts from these segments are apparently derived from an asthenosphere relatively uniformally depleted in incompatible elements, which appears of worldwide extent. We reject Vogt and DeBoer's [1976] model invoking damming at fracture zones of subaxial astenosphere flow of crystal slushes and increasing fractional crystallization down the flow line, because this model would not explain the gradients in REE observed about the Galapagos Platform. Our preferred model combines the mantle-plume binary mixing model of Schilling [1973] with the concept of recurring rift propagation proposed by Hey [1977a]. We further propose that pulsating mantle plume flux, perhaps in the form of a chain of blobs, may initiate the development of new rifts and their propagation. The present position of the tips of such new propagating rifts locate the wave fronts of such pulsating mantle plume flow. A two million year period is suggested for the last 4 m.y. from Wilson and Hey's [1979] information. Rigorous testing of our preferred model is possible.

Autumnal attraction to man-made lighting causes heavy mortality in fledgling Hawaiian seabirds: Newell's shearwater (Puffinus auricularis newelli), dark-rumped petrel (Pterodroma phaeopygia sandwichensis), and band-rumpted storm-petrel (Oceanodroma castro). These threatened, endangered and rare species (respectively) approach and circle lights on their first flight from mountain nesting colonies on the island of Kauai to the sea. Lights of the largest resort were shielded to prevent upward radiation on alternate nights during 2 fledgling seasons. Shielding decreased attraction by nearly 40%. Most attraction occurred 1-4 h after sunset. Full moon dramatically decreased attraction, a phenomenon that has both theoretical and management implications.

The Precious Stone Mountain hydrothermal field (PSMHF) is located on the southern rim of the Galapagos Microplate. It was found at the 3rd leg of the 2009 Chinese DY115-21 expedition on board R/V Dayangyihao. It is efficient to learn the distribution of hydrothermal plumes and locate the hydrothermal vents by detecting the anomalies of turbidity and temperature. Detecting seawater turbidity by MAPR based on deep-tow technology is established and improved during our cruises. We collected data recorded by MAPR and information from geological sampling, yielding the following results: (1)Strong hydrothermal turbidity and temperature anomalies were recorded at 1.23°N, southeast and northwest of PSMHF. According to the CTD data on the mooring system, significant temperature anomalies were observed over PSMHF at the depth of 1,470 m, with anomalies range from 0.2℃ to 0.4℃, which gave another evidence of the existence of hydrothermal plume. (2)At 1.23°N (101.4802°W/1.2305°N), the nose-shaped particle plume was concentrated at a depth interval of 1,400-1,600 m, with 200 m thickness and an east-west diffusion range of 500 m. The maximum turbidity anomaly (0.045 △NTU) was recorded at the depth of 1,500 m, while the background anomaly was about 0.01△NTU. A distinct temperature anomaly was also detected at the seafloor near 1.23°N. Deep-tow camera showed the area was piled up by hydrothermal sulfide sediments. (3) In the southeast (101.49°W/1.21°N), the thickness of hydrothermal plume was 300 m and it was spreading laterally at a depth of 1,500-1,800 m, for a distance about 800 m. The maximum turbidity anomaly of nose-shaped plume is about 0.04 △NTU at the depth of 1,600 m. Distinct temperature anomaly was also detected in the northwest (101.515°W/1.235°N). (4) Terrain and bottom current were the main factors controlling the distribution of hydrothermal plume. Different from the distribution of hydrothermal plumes on the mid-ocean ridges, which was mostly

Lava tubes have traditionally been considered of little interest from a mineralogical point of view. Recently, this type of volcanic caves has received particular attention because lava tubes have been described on Mars. Speleothems, or secondary mineral deposits in lava tubes are mainly composed of siliceous minerals. Coralloid-type speleothems are found either on basaltic cave walls or on the surface of other speleothems. Several authors attribute a microbially mediated origin to their formation. This type of speleothems was recorded within Royal Palm Cave of Santa Cruz Island in Galapagos Archipelago (Ecuador), a lava tube 600 m long, 5 to 15 m height and 2 to 10 m width. The Galapagos Islands are an archipelago of 19 volcanic islands located some 1500 km west of Ecuador, in the Pacific Ocean. These islands host one of the most biodiverse settings on Earth, studied by Charles Darwin. Beige and greyish small coralloids were collected in Royal Palm Cave and analysed by field emission scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (FESEM-EDS), X-ray micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) and mineralogical analyses for morphological, 3D microstructural and compositional characterization, as well as for assessing microbe-mineral interactions and biogenicity. In addition, 16S rRNA gene analyses were performed to identify microbial communities associated with the coralloid-type speleothems. The coralloids showed internal compositional zonation along the growth direction of the speleothems, according to micro-CT data. Internal layering was clearly discernable by the differences in opacity of the distinct mineralogical phases to X-rays, being dominated by alteration products of siliceous composition, whereas more opaque phases, usually Ca-rich minerals, were dominant in the outermost part of the speleothems. X-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy reinforced that the first stage of deposition is mainly composed of opal A and clay minerals

Seafloor at the Galapagos 95.5°W propagating rift (PR) has a varied morphological expression that can be spatially correlated with the predicted kinematic history of the PR. A median valley-like depression occurs near the tip of the growing ridge axis. To test if this bathymetry is a dynamic feature supported by mantle or lithosphere strength or if it is due to isostatically compensated crustal thickness variations, we use three-dimensional gravity modelling to constrain the crustal structure in this region, from data collected by Hey in 1979 and 1982. The gravity anomaly at the PR tip depression suggests that the tip depression is not caused by crustal thinning. The data are consistent with a stress-supported PR tip depression caused by asthenospheric along-axis flow into the growing ridge axis (Phipps Morgan and Parmentier [1]). In contrast to the tip depression, seafloor in the sheared zone of material transferred through transform migration from the Cocos to Nazca plate is anomalously shallow and has a pronounced regional 300-400 m tilt towards the growing ridge axis over the 20 km width of the sheared zone. The gravity data also suggest that the sheared zone is not compensated by crustal thickening.

Volatile ratios (primarily of H2O and CO2) in individual silicate melt (glass) inclusions in minerals have been analyzed using laser volatilization and mass spectrometry. A Nd-glass laser was used to produce 50-micrometer diameter pits in silicate melt inclusions. Released volatiles were analyzed directly with a computer-controlled quadrupole mass spectrometer. The detection limits for CO2 and H2O were on the order of 3 x 10(-14) and 3 x 10(-13) moles, respectively. The reproducibility for CO2/H2O was better than +/- 9%. The total range of volatile ratios from vitreous silicate glass inclusions contained in a suite of Galapagos lavas were: 0.018 to 1.193 for CO2/H2O; 0.002 to 0.758 for CO/H2O; 0 to 0.454 for CH4/H2O; and 0 to 0.432 for Ar/H2O. The mean CO2/H2O from the propagating rift (0.245 +/- 0.068) silicate glass inclusions is significantly lower than that of the actively failing rift (0.641 +/- 0.241); this difference probably reflects different degrees of degassing during magmatic histories for the two regions. Relatively undifferentiated failing rift magmas must have relatively short crustal residence times prior to eruption and, therefore, have not undergone significant degassing of CO2, as would appear to be the case for the more highly fractionated propagating rift magmas. The laser-mass spectrometric system described herein has the ability to act as a point-source probing device that can differentiate between the various volatile sites in minerals and rocks (as well as synthetic materials) on a micrometer scale.

One-atmosphere experiments conducted on a synthetic glass similar to Galapagos Spreading Center (GSC) FeTi basalt (POO.82N2), (Byerly et al., 1976) define liquid lines of descent at fO2 values between the quartz-fayalite-magnetite (QFM) buffer and 2 log units more oxidizing than the nickle-nickle oxide (NNO) buffer. The experiments provide a framework for understanding the development of FeTi basalts by fractionation at near-ocean floor conditions. GSC lavas from near 85°W initially follow a compositional trend, distinguished by FeO° (= FeO + 0.9Fe2O3) enrichment and SiO2 depletion, which is nearly identical to the trend observed in experiments at QFM to which olivine seeds were added. This compositional trend can be produced by crystallization along an olivine → pigeonite reaction boundary in a shallow crystal-rich magma reservoir. In contrast, GSC lavas from 95°W do not mimic the 1-atm liquid line of descent, but appear to have fractionated at somewhat higher pressure. Basaltic liquids from 95°W underwent fractional crystallization at 1-2 kbar, did not experience FeO° enrichment along an olivine → low-Ca pyroxene reaction boundary, and developed FeO° enrichment concomitant with SiO2 enrichment. This compositional variation is consistent with a differentiation process in which crystals are continually removed from contact with liquid. Rhyodacites from 95°W cannot be related to the basalts and FeTi basalts recovered at 95°W by shallow-level crystal fractionation. Instead, rhyolite liquids were formed either by fractionation of similar parents at greater depth and higher PH2O, or formed by fractionation of different parents. Andesite formed by mixing between basaltic and rhyodacitic liquids. As a consequence, mixed andesites define a trend of decreasing P2O5 which has been previously interpreted to represent apatite saturation at approximately 0.22 wt% P2O5, significantly earlier than at 85°W (where P2O5 decreases at approximately 0.7 wt% P2O5). Our

In May-June 2002, the Galapagos Rift axis was explored during a NOAA Ocean Exploration Program expedition that investigated three sites along the Rift between 86°W and 89.5°W. Two major vent fields with markedly different community structures were discovered near 86° 13'W (Rosebud) and 89° 37'W (Calyfield) and were biologically, geologically and geochemically characterized. Alvin dives were initially conducted to extend the long-running biological and geochemical time-series at some of the earliest discovered vent sites (e.g., Rose Garden, 1979; Musselbed, 1977). Alvin dives to the Rose Garden (RG) area (86°W) revealed: 1) a notable absence of the 14 seafloor markers and ~7 stacks of Alvin dive weights that were observed during the last visit to RG in 1990; 2) relatively recent lava flows (as indicated by a 0.6 wt. percent increase in evolved N-MORB MgO in RG [1985] and Rosebud lava flows); and 3) relatively young (small/juvenile) species assemblages. Thus, the well-developed vent faunal communities documented 12 years earlier at RG were apparently buried by eruptive lava flows. Within 200 meters of RG, a new site, Rosebud (2470m), has emerged to support communities presently in the early stages of their development in fluids exhibiting the highest temperatures (23°C) and H2S concentrations (>0.55 mmol per L) observed on the Galapagos Rift. Photomosaics of the Rosebud vent field (70 x 50 m) reveal this site to consist of 4 major venting areas containing vestimentiferan tubeworms (majority less than 6cm in length), linear rows of bathymodiolid mussels (average ~1cm in length), and adjacent carpets of amphianthid anemones (ca. 50 per square meter). A single assemblage of larger mussels (>10cm) was observed on the margin of the field. Vesicomyid clams (ca. 10 individuals), all less than 3 cm, were observed along cracks in the central sheet flow. Based on extensive time-series analysis of biological community structure on the East Pacific Rise, the age of the

Human exploitation of marine ecosystems is more recent in oceanic than near shore regions, yet our understanding of human impacts on oceanic food webs is comparatively poor. Few records of species that live beyond the continental shelves date back more than 60 y, and the sheer size of oceanic regions makes their food webs difficult to study, even in modern times. Here, we use stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes to study the foraging history of a generalist, oceanic predator, the Hawaiian petrel (Pterodroma sandwichensis), which ranges broadly in the Pacific from the equator to near the Aleutian Islands. Our isotope records from modern and ancient, radiocarbon-dated bones provide evidence of over 3,000 y of dietary stasis followed by a decline of ca. 1.8‰ in δ(15)N over the past 100 y. Fishery-induced trophic decline is the most likely explanation for this sudden shift, which occurs in genetically distinct populations with disparate foraging locations. Our isotope records also show that coincident with the apparent decline in trophic level, foraging segregation among petrel populations decreased markedly. Because variation in the diet of generalist predators can reflect changing availability of their prey, a foraging shift in wide-ranging Hawaiian petrel populations suggests a relatively rapid change in the composition of oceanic food webs in the Northeast Pacific. Understanding and mitigating widespread shifts in prey availability may be a critical step in the conservation of endangered marine predators such as the Hawaiian petrel. PMID:23671094

Human exploitation of marine ecosystems is more recent in oceanic than near shore regions, yet our understanding of human impacts on oceanic food webs is comparatively poor. Few records of species that live beyond the continental shelves date back more than 60 y, and the sheer size of oceanic regions makes their food webs difficult to study, even in modern times. Here, we use stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes to study the foraging history of a generalist, oceanic predator, the Hawaiian petrel (Pterodroma sandwichensis), which ranges broadly in the Pacific from the equator to near the Aleutian Islands. Our isotope records from modern and ancient, radiocarbon-dated bones provide evidence of over 3,000 y of dietary stasis followed by a decline of ca. 1.8‰ in δ15N over the past 100 y. Fishery-induced trophic decline is the most likely explanation for this sudden shift, which occurs in genetically distinct populations with disparate foraging locations. Our isotope records also show that coincident with the apparent decline in trophic level, foraging segregation among petrel populations decreased markedly. Because variation in the diet of generalist predators can reflect changing availability of their prey, a foraging shift in wide-ranging Hawaiian petrel populations suggests a relatively rapid change in the composition of oceanic food webs in the Northeast Pacific. Understanding and mitigating widespread shifts in prey availability may be a critical step in the conservation of endangered marine predators such as the Hawaiian petrel. PMID:23671094

Seabirds are highly vagile and can disperse up to thousands of kilometers, making it difficult to identify the factors that promote isolation between populations. The endemic Hawaiian petrel (Pterodroma sandwichensis) is one such species. Today it is endangered, and known to breed only on the islands of Hawaii, Maui, Lanai and Kauai. Historical records indicate that a large population formerly bred on Molokai as well, but this population has recently been extirpated. Given the great dispersal potential of these petrels, it remains unclear if populations are genetically distinct and which factors may contribute to isolation between them. We sampled petrels from across their range, including individuals from the presumably extirpated Molokai population. We sequenced 524 bp of mitochondrial DNA, 741 bp from three nuclear introns, and genotyped 18 microsatellite loci in order to examine the patterns of divergence in this species and to investigate the potential underlying mechanisms. Both mitochondrial and nuclear data sets indicated significant genetic differentiation among all modern populations, but no differentiation was found between historic samples from Molokai and modern birds from Lanai. Population-specific nonbreeding distribution and strong natal philopatry may reduce gene flow between populations. However, the lack of population structure between extirpated Molokai birds and modern birds on Lanai indicates that there was substantial gene flow between these populations and that petrels may be able to overcome barriers to dispersal prior to complete extirpation. Hawaiian petrel populations could be considered distinct management units, however, the dwindling population on Hawaii may require translocation to prevent extirpation in the near future. PMID:22434012

Seabirds are highly vagile and can disperse up to thousands of kilometers, making it difficult to identify the factors that promote isolation between populations. The endemic Hawaiian petrel (Pterodroma sandwichensis) is one such species. Today it is endangered, and known to breed only on the islands of Hawaii, Maui, Lanai and Kauai. Historical records indicate that a large population formerly bred on Molokai as well, but this population has recently been extirpated. Given the great dispersal potential of these petrels, it remains unclear if populations are genetically distinct and which factors may contribute to isolation between them. We sampled petrels from across their range, including individuals from the presumably extirpated Molokai population. We sequenced 524 bp of mitochondrial DNA, 741 bp from three nuclear introns, and genotyped 18 microsatellite loci in order to examine the patterns of divergence in this species and to investigate the potential underlying mechanisms. Both mitochondrial and nuclear data sets indicated significant genetic differentiation among all modern populations, but no differentiation was found between historic samples from Molokai and modern birds from Lanai. Population-specific nonbreeding distribution and strong natal philopatry may reduce gene flow between populations. However, the lack of population structure between extirpated Molokai birds and modern birds on Lanai indicates that there was substantial gene flow between these populations and that petrels may be able to overcome barriers to dispersal prior to complete extirpation. Hawaiian petrel populations could be considered distinct management units, however, the dwindling population on Hawaii may require translocation to prevent extirpation in the near future. PMID:22434012

The submarine hydrothermal activity on and near the Galápagos Rift has been explored with the aid of the deep submersible Alvin. Analyses of water samples from hydrothermal vents reveal that hydrothermal activity provides significant or dominant sources and sinks for several components of seawater; studies of conductive and convective heat transfer suggest that two-thirds of the heat lost from new oceanic lithosphere at the Galápagos Rift in the first million years may be vented from thermal springs, predominantly along the axial ridge within the rift valley. The vent areas are populated by animal communities. They appear to utilize chemosynthesis by sulfur-oxidizing bacteria to derive their entire energy supply from reactions between the seawater and the rocks at high temperatures, rather than photosynthesis

The submarine hydrothermal activity on and near the Galápagos Rift has been explored with the aid of the deep submersible Alvin. Analyses of water samples from hydrothermal vents reveal that hydrothermal activity provides significant or dominant sources and sinks for several components of seawater; studies of conductive and convective heat transfer suggest that two-thirds of the heat lost from new oceanic lithosphere at the Galápagos Rift in the first million years may be vented from thermal springs, predominantly along the axial ridge within the rift valley. The vent areas are populated by animal communities. They appear to utilize chemosynthesis by sulfur-oxidizing bacteria to derive their entire energy supply from reactions between the seawater and the rocks at high temperatures, rather than photosynthesis. PMID:17776033

One of the classic examples of adaptive radiation under natural selection is the evolution of 15 closely related species of Darwin's finches (Passeriformes), whose primary diversity lies in the size and shape of their beaks. Since Charles Darwin and other members of the Beagle expedition collected these birds on the Galápagos Islands in 1835 and introduced them to science, they have been the subjects of intense research. Many biology textbooks use Darwin's finches to illustrate a variety of topics of evolutionary theory, such as speciation, natural selection and niche partitioning. Today, as this Theme Issue illustrates, Darwin's finches continue to be a very valuable source of biological discovery. Certain advantages of studying this group allow further breakthroughs in our understanding of changes in recent island biodiversity, mechanisms of speciation and hybridization, evolution of cognitive behaviours, principles of beak/jaw biomechanics as well as the underlying developmental genetic mechanisms in generating morphological diversity. Our objective was to bring together some of the key workers in the field of ecology and evolutionary biology who study Darwin's finches or whose studies were inspired by research on Darwin's finches. Insights provided by papers collected in this Theme Issue will be of interest to a wide audience. PMID:20194163

We report measurements of teleseismic shear wave splitting in the Galápagos Archipelago. The inferred lateral variations in azimuthal anisotropy allow us to examine the dynamics of an evolving hotspot-ridge system. The data are from SKS and SKKS phases, as well as S waves from deep sources, recorded by a relatively dense network of 10 portable broadband seismometers deployed from 1999 to 2003 for the IGUANA (Imaging Galápagos Upwelling and Neotectonics of the Archipelago) experiment and from the GSN broadband station in Santa Cruz (PAYG). We find a delay time between fast and slow shear waves of 0.4 to 0.9 s and fast polarization directions of N85-90° E beneath five stations at the leading and southern edge of the archipelago. Despite clear seismic signals, we did not find any anisotropy at the six stations located in the interior of the archipelago. For those stations that show shear wave splitting, there is an increase in the delay time toward the expected location of the Galápagos hotspot at the western edge of the archipelago. With the exception of Española, fast polarization directions (N85-90° E) are close to the current direction of absolute plate motion of the overlying Nazca plate (N91° E). The lack of azimuthal anisotropy in the interior of the archipelago is interpreted as an absence of strongly oriented mantle fabric beneath these stations. The apparent isotropy in this dynamic region, where we expect considerable mantle strain, is surprising. It is not likely that the olivine a-axis is oriented vertically beneath the interior of the archipelago as the Galápagos plume is thought to lie at the western edge. It is also unlikely that there are two layers of perpendicularly-oriented anisotropy which are solely confined to the center of the archipelago. However, there appears to be some correlation between the region of apparent isotropy and a zone of anomalously low upper mantle velocities imaged beneath Santiago and Marchena from surface waves by Villagomez and others, though the low-velocity region is spatially more confined. This pattern suggests that the presence of melt in the upper mantle may weaken the effects of fabric on shear wave splitting, as suggested by Holtzman and others. An alternative explanation is that the flow field in the near ridge setting is complex, resulting in apparent isotropy. Due to the very young lithospheric age and to the effect of both the neighboring ridge and Galápagos hotspot, the lithosphere thickness is likely thinner than 40 km. Therefore no more than about 40% of the recorded delay time could originate from the lithosphere. We propose that the splitting pattern in the Galápagos Archipelago may be the result of plate drag and frozen lithospheric anisotropy which, beneath the center of the archipelago, is weakened by the presence of melt in the upper mantle.

This "Sherlock Holmes" in the discipline of neurology, always searching for truth accuracy and dependability of researcher, clinician or writer, advanced his endowment into book reviewing. His acrid criticism was accurate, for the succeeding edition always embodied all recommendations, but at all times everyone benefited from the Wartenberg warmth, for he never made enemies with his microscopic scrutiny of facts in his unique but complete review of a tome. PMID:11618749

Pelagic seabirds are highly mobile, reducing the likelihood of allopatric speciation where disruption of gene flow between populations is caused by physically insurmountable, extrinsic barriers. Spatial segregation during the non-breeding season appears to provide an intrinsic barrier to gene flow among seabird populations that otherwise occupy nearby or overlapping regions during breeding, but how this is achieved remains unclear. Here we show that the two genetically distinct populations of Cook's petrel (Pterodroma cookii) exhibit transequatorial separation of non-breeding ranges at contemporary (ca. 2-3 yrs) and historical (ca. 100 yrs) time scales. Segregation during the non-breeding season per se appears as an unlikely barrier to gene flow. Instead we provide evidence that habitat specialization during the non-breeding season is associated with breeding asynchrony which, in conjunction with philopatry, restricts gene flow. Habitat specialization during breeding and non-breeding likely promotes evolutionary divergence between these two populations via local adaptation. PMID:21629265

We used a 17-year time series of shipboard observations to address the hypothesis that marine birds associate with persistent hydrographic features in the southern California Current System (CCS). Overall, approximately 27,000 km of ocean habitat were surveyed, averaging 1600 km per cruise. We identified mesoscale features (eddy centers and the core of the California Current), based on dynamic height anomalies, and considered habitat associations for seven migratory seabird species: black-footed albatross ( Phoebastria nigripes), Cook's petrel ( Pterodroma cookii), Leach's storm-petrel ( Oceanodroma leucorhoa), dark shearwaters (mainly sooty shearwater Puffinus griseus, with a few short-tailed shearwaters Puffinus tenuirostris), northern fulmar ( Fulmarus glacialis), red phalarope ( Phalaropus fulicaria), and red-necked phalarope ( Phalaropus lobatus). We explored associations (presence/absence and density relationships) of marine birds with mesoscale features (eddies, current jet) and metrics of primary productivity (chlorophyll a and nitrate concentrations). Mesoscale eddies were consistently identified in the study region, but were spatially and temporally variable. The resolved eddies were large-scale features associated with meanders of the equatorward-flowing California Current. Cook's petrel was found offshore with no specific habitat affinities. Black-footed albatross, red phalarope, and Leach's storm petrel were found in association with offshore eddies and/or the core of the California Current, but the functional relationship for these species varied, possibly reflecting differences in flight capabilities. The more coastal species, including the shearwaters, fulmar, and red-necked phalarope, were positively associated with proxies of primary productivity. Of the hydrographic habitats considered, the upwelling region of Point Conception appears to be an important "hotspot" of sustained primary production and marine bird concentrations. Point Conception and

We wish to use stable-isotope analysis of flight feathers to understand the feeding behavior of pelagic seabirds, such as the Hawaiian Petrel (Pterodroma sandwichensis) and Newell’s Shearwater (Puffinus auricularis newelli). Analysis of remiges is particularly informative because the sequence and timing of remex molt are often known. The initial step, reported here, is to obtain accurate isotope values from whole remiges by means of a minimally invasive protocol appropriate for live birds or museum specimens. The high variability observed in D13C and D15N values within a feather precludes the use of a small section of vane. We found the average range within 42 Hawaiian Petrel remiges to be 1.3‰ for both D13C and D15N and that within 10 Newell’s Shearwater remiges to be 1.3‰ and 0.7‰ for D13C and D15N, respectively. The D13C of all 52 feathers increased from tip to base, and the majority of Hawaiian Petrel feathers showed an analogous trend in D15N. Although the average range of DD in 21 Hawaiian Petrel remiges was 11‰, we found no longitudinal trend. We discuss influences of trophic level, foraging location, metabolism, and pigmentation on isotope values and compare three methods of obtaining isotope averages of whole feathers. Our novel barb-sampling protocol requires only 1.0 mg of feather and minimal preparation time. Because it leaves the feather nearly intact, this protocol will likely facilitate obtaining isotope values from remiges of live birds and museum specimens. As a consequence, it will help expand the understanding of historical trends in foraging behavior

Several examples of coevolution which can be used in biology classes are presented. Discussed are evolutionary processes in general, giant cacti, and reptile and cacti association. The effects of human interference are briefly described. (CW)

Fernandina is the most active Galápagos volcano, and is located closest to the seismically defined hotspot. Allan and Simkin (2000) observed that the subaerial edifice is constructed of homogeneous basalts (Mg# = 49 ± 2) with highly variable plagioclase phenocryst contents and sparse olivine. Geist et al. (2006) proposed a magmatic plumbing system in which the volcano is supplied by interconnected sills, the shallowest of which is density-stratified: olivine and pyroxene are concentrated at greater depths, whereas less dense plagioclase mush is higher in the sill. Consequently, olivine-rich lava erupts laterally during submarine events, but plagioclase-rich lava supplies subaerial vents. To test this hypothesis, we examine lavas erupted in 1995, 2005, and 2009. These SW flank eruptions emerged alternatively from en echelon radial fissures on the lower flanks and circumferential fissures near the caldera rim. The 1995 radial fissure unzipped downslope and then formed a cone 4 km from the coast, sending flows to the ocean. In 2005, circumferential fissures erupted five flows south of the 1995 fissure. As in 1995, the 2009 fissures opened down the SW flank before focusing to a cone near the 1995 vents, producing 6 km-long flows that also reached the ocean. By correlating plagioclase crystal size distribution and morphologies with single event chronological sequences, we examine Fernandina's magmatic plumbing system. Modal plagioclase in 1995 lava decreases (20% to <5%) throughout the middle eruptive phase. Early 2005 samples are nearly aphyric (Chadwick et al., 2010), with 1-2% plagioclase. The 2009 eruption has reduced plagioclase, similar to mid-1995 samples. Preliminary observations suggest that less plagioclase-rich mush is being flushed out during early-to-medial event sequences, whereas plag phenocrysts are transported more during later phases. Plausible plumbing dynamics suggest a zone of plagioclase-rich mush that is eroded and incorporated into radial fissure eruptions.

Hydrogen isotopes have significantly enhanced our understanding of the biogeography of migratory animals. The basis for this methodology lies in predictable, continental patterns of precipitation δD values that are often reflected in an organism's tissues. δD variation is not expected for oceanic pelagic organisms whose dietary hydrogen (water and organic hydrogen in prey) is transferred up the food web from an isotopically homogeneous water source. We report a 142‰ range in the δD values of flight feathers from the Hawaiian petrel (Pterodroma sandwichensis), an oceanic pelagic North Pacific species, and inquire about the source of that variation. We show δD variation between and within four other oceanic pelagic species: Newell's shearwater (Puffinus auricularis newellii), Black-footed albatross (Phoebastria nigripes), Laysan albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis) and Buller's shearwater (Puffinus bulleri). The similarity between muscle δD values of hatch-year Hawaiian petrels and their prey suggests that trophic fractionation does not influence δD values of muscle. We hypothesize that isotopic discrimination is associated with water loss during salt excretion through salt glands. Salt load differs between seabirds that consume isosmotic squid and crustaceans and those that feed on hyposmotic teleost fish. In support of the salt gland hypothesis, we show an inverse relationship between δD and percent teleost fish in diet for three seabird species. Our results demonstrate the utility of δD in the study of oceanic consumers, while also contributing to a better understanding of δD systematics, the basis for one of the most commonly utilized isotope tools in avian ecology. PMID:24989118

We investigated the concentrations of 22 essential and non-essential elements among a community of Procellariiformes (and their prey) to identify the extent to which trophic position and foraging range governed element accumulation. Stable isotope analysis (SIA) was used to characterise trophic (delta(15)N) and spatial patterns (delta(13)C) among species. Few consistent patterns were observed in element distributions among species and diet appeared to be highly influential in some instances. Arsenic levels in seabird red blood cells correlated with delta(15)N and delta(13)C, demonstrating the importance of trophic position and foraging range for arsenic distribution. Arsenic concentrations in prey varied significantly across taxa, and in the strength of association with delta(15)N values (trophic level). In most instances, element patterns in Procellariiformes showed the clearest separation among species, indicating that a combination of prey selection and other complex species-specific characteristics (e.g. moult patterns) were generally more important determining factors than trophic level per se. PMID:19713018

The Chatham Island Taiko (Tchaik, Pterodroma magentae) is one of the world's rarest seabirds. In the past there were millions of breeding pairs of Taiko and it was the most abundant burrowing petrel on Chatham Island. The present population consists of just 120-150 birds, including only 8-15 breeding pairs. Surprisingly high genetic variation was revealed by DNA sequencing of almost every known adult Taiko (N=90). Given the massive population decline, genetic variation may have been even larger in the past. Therefore, we investigated past genetic diversity by sequencing regions of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene in 44 ancient Taiko bones. We identified a total of 12 haplotypes in Taiko. Eight haplotypes were revealed in the ancient DNA: four were unique to the bones and four corresponded to those found in the modern Taiko population. Surprisingly, despite the critically endangered status of the Taiko, no significant reduction in mitochondrial DNA haplotype diversity was observed between ancient samples (N=44) and modern adult Taiko (N=90). The modern population may have however lost four haplotypes present in the ancient populations. PMID:19018271

Many rare and endangered species are difficult to locate, observe, and study. Consequently, many individuals, breeding pairs, and even populations of such species could remain undetected. Genetic markers can potentially be used to detect the existence of undiscovered individuals and populations, and we propose a method to do so that requires 3 conditions. First, sampling of the known population(s) of the target species must be comprehensive. Second, the species must display a reasonable level of philopatry and genetic structuring. Third, individuals must be able to be caught outside of breeding locations (e.g., at courtship or feeding areas, in flight), and the level of recapture must be reasonably high. We applied our method to the Chatham Island Taiko (Pterodroma magentae), one of the world's most endangered seabirds. We sequenced the Taiko mitochondrial cytochrome b gene and both copies of a fragment of the duplicated domain I of the control region. Twenty-one haplotypes were revealed, including 4 (19%) not found in birds at known burrows. These results suggest there are more burrow groups yet to be located. The species is a pelagic gadfly petrel that inhabits land only in the breeding season during which it is nocturnal and nests in burrows. Taiko burrows are situated in dense forest in a remote area of Chatham Island, and are consequently difficult to locate and study. It is important that all Taiko burrows be discovered to enable monitoring and protection of the birds from exotic predators. PMID:18717692

We documented the diet of feral cats by analysing the contents of 42 digestive tracts from Kilauea and Mauna Loa in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. Small mammals, invertebrates, and birds were the most common prey types consumed by feral cats. Birds occurred in 27.8-29.2% of digestive tracts. The total number of bird, small mammal, and invertebrate prey differed between Kilauea and Mauna Loa. On Mauna Loa, significantly more (89%) feral cats consumed small mammals, primarily rodents, than on Kilauea Volcano (50%). Mice (Mus musculus) were the major component of the feral cat diet on Mauna Loa, whereas Orthoptera were the major component of the diet on Kilauea. We recovered a mandible set, feathers, and bones of an endangered Hawaiian Petrel (Pterodroma sandwichensis) from a digestive tract from Mauna Loa. This specimen represents the first well-documented endangered seabird to be recovered from the digestive tract of a feral cat in Hawai'i and suggests that feral cats prey on this species.

Feral cats (Felis cafus) have long been implicated as nest predators of endangered 'Ua'u (Hawaiian Petrel; Pterodroma sandwichensis) on Hawaii Island, but until recently, visual confirmation has been limited by available technology. 'Ua'u nest out of view, deep inside small cavities, on alpine lava flows. During the breeding seasons of 2007 and 2008, we monitored known burrows within Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. Digital infrared video cameras assisted in determining the breeding behaviour and nesting success at the most isolated of burrows. With 7 cameras, we collected a total of 819 videos and 89 still photographs of adult and nestling 'Ua'u at 14 burrows. Videos also confirmed the presence of rats (Rattus spp.) at 2 burrows, 'Ōmao (Myadestes obscurus) at 8 burrows, and feral cats at 6 burrows. A sequence of videos showed a feral cat taking a downy 'Ua'u chick from its burrow, representing the first direct evidence of 'Ua'u depredation by feral cat in Hawai'i. This technique provides greater understanding of feral cat behaviour in 'Ua'u colonies, which may assist in the development of more targeted management strategies to reduce nest predation on endangered insular bird species.

More than 18 million seabirds nest on 58 Pacific islands protected within vast U.S. Marine National Monuments (1.9 million km2). However, most of these seabird colonies are on low-elevation islands and sea-level rise (SLR) and accompanying high-water perturbations are predicted to escalate with climate change. To understand how SLR may impact protected islands and insular biodiversity, we modeled inundation and wave-driven flooding of a globally important seabird rookery in the subtropical Pacific. We acquired new high-resolution Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) and used the Delft3D wave model and ArcGIS to model wave heights and inundation for a range of SLR scenarios (+0.5, +1.0, +1.5, and +2.0 m) at Midway Atoll. Next, we classified vegetation to delineate habitat exposure to inundation and identified how breeding phenology, colony synchrony, and life history traits affect species-specific sensitivity. We identified 3 of 13 species as highly vulnerable to SLR in the Hawaiian Islands and quantified their atoll-wide distribution (Laysan albatross, Phoebastria immutabilis; black-footed albatross, P. nigripes; and Bonin petrel, Pterodroma hypoleuca). Our models of wave-driven flooding forecast nest losses up to 10% greater than passive inundation models at +1.0 m SLR. At projections of + 2.0 m SLR, approximately 60% of albatross and 44% of Bonin petrel nests were overwashed displacing more than 616,400 breeding albatrosses and petrels. Habitat loss due to passive SLR may decrease the carrying capacity of some islands to support seabird colonies, while sudden high-water events directly reduce survival and reproduction. This is the first study to simulate wave-driven flooding and the combined impacts of SLR, groundwater rise, and storm waves on seabird colonies. Our results highlight the need for early climate change planning and restoration of higher elevation seabird refugia to prevent low-lying protected islands from becoming ecological traps in the face of rising

Seabirds are excellent subjects for examination of heavy metals because they are long-lived, feed at different distances from land, and exhibit different trophic levels. In this paper we compare the levels of lead, cadmium, mercury arsenic, chromium, manganese, selenium, and tin in the feathers of birds nesting on Midway Atoll in the northern Pacific Ocean. We test the null hypothesis that there are no interspecific differences in the levels of metals in the feathers of the adult black-footed albatross (Diomedea nigripes), Laysan albatross (Diomedea immutabilis), red-footed booby (Sula sula), great frigatebird (Fregata minor), Bonin petrel (Pterodroma hypoleuca), Christmas shearwater (Puffinus nativitatis), red-tailed tropicbird (Phaethon rubricauda), wedge-tailed shearwater (Puffinus pacificus), brown noddy (Anous stolidus), sooty tern (Stema fuscata), grey-backed tern (Stema lunata), and white tern (Gygis alba), and young of some of these species. There were interspecific differences in the levels of all metals for adults. Christmas shearwater had the highest levels of lead, cadmium, selenium and manganese, but the second lowest levels of mercury. In general, metal levels were the lowest in the smallest species (white tern), but were not the highest in the largest species (black-footed albatross), except for manganese, arsenic and mercury. There was a high variance in metal levels among adults for some species, but not for others. White tern adults were variable for lead, while Christmas shearwaters were variable for lead and cadmium. Compared to the means for metals in other birds generally (after Burger, 1993), Christmas shearwaters had higher levels of lead, white terns, brown noddy, Christmas shearwater, frigatebirds and Laysan albatrosses had higher levels of cadmium, and bonin petrel, wedge-tailed shearwater, tropicbirds, frigatebirds, red-footed boobies, and both albatrosses had higher levels of mercury. Whereas the means for lead and cadmium were below

Mercury concentrations in albatrosses and some other large procellariiforms are very much higher than found in other groups of seabirds. Analysis of mercury concentrations in feather samples collected prior to 1950 and after this date showed slight, but significant, increased in three out of ten sub-Antarctic procellariiform species. The lack of widespread and pronounced increases in mercury concentrations in procellariiforms between these periods may indicate that industrial and agricultural emissions of mercury in the southern hemisphere have been relatively minor and the high concentrations are predominantly due to natural processes. Mercury concentrations were relatively consistent between body feathers of individuals, and showed no variation related to adult age (in years). Within species, mercury concentrations tended to be highest in New Zealand populations and lowest in Falkland Island and South Georgia populations. Mercury concentrations also varied among species, but not in a way that could be related to diet. 27 refs., 1 fig., 3 tabs.

We conducted pelagic seabird surveys in the Gambier and Tuamotu Archipelagos in the southeastern Pacific Ocean totaling 40 hours during 7-27 March 2003 and 22.5 hours during 22-27 July 2001. We used a 300-m-wide strip transect to estimate seabird density, and we estimated relative abundance of birds at all distances. In 2001, we observed a total of 326 birds of 18 species. The mean relative abundance of all birds was 14.3 ?? 3.1/h. Red-footed Booby Sula sula was the most abundant species (5.6/h), followed by White Tern Gygis alba (3.4/h), and Great Crested or Swift Tern Sterna bergii (1.2/h). In 2003, we observed a total of 1463 birds of 25 species. The mean relative abundance of all birds was 36.6 ?? 11.4/h and the mean density of all birds was 4.14 ?? 0.72/km2. Brown Noddy Anous stolidus was the most abundant species (17.6/h, 1.5/km2), followed by White Tern (8.4/h, 1.3/km2), and Red-footed Booby (4.6/h, 0.8/km2). Several globally or locally rare species were observed infrequently, including Phoenix PetrelPterodroma alba (0.1/h, 0.03/km2). Distribution of birds was uneven, with long periods of no birds punctuated by occasional feeding flocks. In 2003, species diversity was related to length of observation period, with more species observed on longer segments (r2 = 0.58, F1.5 = 6.03, P = 0.05). Although the duration and extent of our surveys were limited, these data are valuable because little published information is available on pelagic seabirds in southeastern Polynesia.

Foraging segregation may play an important role in the maintenance of animal diversity, and is a proposed mechanism for promoting genetic divergence within seabird species. However, little information exists regarding its presence among seabird populations. We investigated genetic and foraging divergence between two colonies of endangered Hawaiian petrels (Pterodroma sandwichensis) nesting on the islands of Hawaii and Kauai using the mitochondrial Cytochrome b gene and carbon, nitrogen and hydrogen isotope values (?? 13C, ?? 15N and ??D, respectively) of feathers. Genetic analyses revealed strong differentiation between colonies on Hawaii and Kauai, with ?? ST = 0. 50 (p < 0. 0001). Coalescent-based analyses gave estimates of <1 migration event per 1,000 generations. Hatch-year birds from Kauai had significantly lower ?? 13C and ?? 15N values than those from Hawaii. This is consistent with Kauai birds provisioning chicks with prey derived from near or north of the Hawaiian Islands, and Hawaii birds provisioning young with prey from regions of the equatorial Pacific characterized by elevated ?? 15N values at the food web base. ?? 15N values of Kauai and Hawaii adults differed significantly, indicating additional foraging segregation during molt. Feather ??D varied from -69 to 53???. This variation cannot be related solely to an isotopically homogeneous ocean water source or evaporative water loss. Instead, we propose the involvement of salt gland excretion. Our data demonstrate the presence of foraging segregation between proximately nesting seabird populations, despite high species mobility. This ecological diversity may facilitate population coexistence, and its preservation should be a focus of conservation strategies. ?? 2011 Springer-Verlag (outside the USA).

Foraging segregation may play an important role in the maintenance of animal diversity, and is a proposed mechanism for promoting genetic divergence within seabird species. However, little information exists regarding its presence among seabird populations. We investigated genetic and foraging divergence between two colonies of endangered Hawaiian petrels (Pterodroma sandwichensis) nesting on the islands of Hawaii and Kauai using the mitochondrial Cytochrome b gene and carbon, nitrogen and hydrogen isotope values (δ(13)C, δ(15)N and δD, respectively) of feathers. Genetic analyses revealed strong differentiation between colonies on Hawaii and Kauai, with Φ(ST) = 0.50 (p < 0.0001). Coalescent-based analyses gave estimates of <1 migration event per 1,000 generations. Hatch-year birds from Kauai had significantly lower δ(13)C and δ(15)N values than those from Hawaii. This is consistent with Kauai birds provisioning chicks with prey derived from near or north of the Hawaiian Islands, and Hawaii birds provisioning young with prey from regions of the equatorial Pacific characterized by elevated δ(15)N values at the food web base. δ(15)N values of Kauai and Hawaii adults differed significantly, indicating additional foraging segregation during molt. Feather δD varied from -69 to 53‰. This variation cannot be related solely to an isotopically homogeneous ocean water source or evaporative water loss. Instead, we propose the involvement of salt gland excretion. Our data demonstrate the presence of foraging segregation between proximately nesting seabird populations, despite high species mobility. This ecological diversity may facilitate population coexistence, and its preservation should be a focus of conservation strategies. PMID:21837410

The choice of food types and the length of time food passed through the gastrointestinal tract were determined in free-ranging Conolophus pallidus on Isla Santa Fe, Galapogos throughout the year. Natural foods were analyzed for energy, percent cellulose, percent nitrogen, and calcium as indices of the quality of food. Foods of highest quality were found to be among the preferred foods, but not all preferred foods were of high quality with respect to the nutrients measured. Passage time of food through the gastrointestinal tract, digestive efficiency, and digestion of cellulose were determined on captive Conolophus subcristatus. Ability to digest cellulose and digestive efficiency varied among five caged iguanas. Intra- and interspecific variabilities in digestive capacities result from variability in ecological factors, and interspecific variability among iguanines probably reflects differences in colic anatomy and the ability to absorb nutrients from the hindgut. 23 references, 4 tables.

Phenocrysts and xenocrysts of augite, subcalcic augite, pigeonite, orthopyroxene, and olivine in two glassy rhyodacite dredge samples from 95/sup 0/W on the GSC reflect a complex history of fractional crystallization and magma mixing. The pyroxene compositions can be grouped into clusters reflecting three major sources: a) Fenumber approx. 0.2 from basalt, b) Fenumber approx. 0.5 from rhyodacite, and c) Fenumber approx. 0.6 from rhyolite. Pyroxene Ti/Al ratios of 1:14, 1:7 and 1:3 have Fenumbers suggesting original crystallization from basalt, rhyodacite, and rhyolite melts respectively. These general compositional groups are typical of those produced during fractional crystallization of basalt to rhyolite. At relatively constant Fenumber the augites in any group display a wide spectrum of variation in Wo, Al, and Ti. Basaltic augite core to rim variations exhibit both increases and decreases in Ti at nearly constant Fenumber. A continuous variation in subcalcic augites is present from Fe-augite to Fe-pigeonite. These effects are likely kinetic, perhaps due to rapid cooling rates, but possibly due to supersaturation produced during mixing. Magma mixing may have played an important role in bringing together these contrasting components. The abundance of very-fine-grained basaltic xenoliths and xenocrysts, the glassy rhyolitic inclusions and associated xenocrysts, along with major reverse zoning in Fenumber or major discontinuities in Fenumber in the ferromagnesian phases all point to coexisting melts of radically differing composition.

Small and isolated island populations provide ideal systems to study the effects of limited population size, genetic drift and gene flow on genetic diversity. We assessed genetic diversity within and differentiation among 19 mockingbird populations on 15 Galápagos islands, covering all four endemic species, using 16 microsatellite loci. We tested for signs of drift and gene flow, and used historic specimens to assess genetic change over the last century and to estimate effective population sizes. Within-population genetic diversity and effective population sizes varied substantially among island populations and correlated strongly with island size, suggesting that island size serves as a good predictor for effective population size. Genetic differentiation among populations was pronounced and increased with geographical distance. A century of genetic drift did not change genetic diversity on an archipelago-wide scale, but genetic drift led to loss of genetic diversity in small populations, especially in one of the two remaining populations of the endangered Floreana mockingbird. Unlike in other Galápagos bird species such as the Darwin's finches, gene flow among mockingbird populations was low. The clear pattern of genetically distinct populations reflects the effects of genetic drift and suggests that Galápagos mockingbirds are evolving in relative isolation. PMID:20194174

Anthropogenic disturbance is a relevant and widespread facilitator of environmental change and there is clear evidence that it impacts natural populations. While population-level responses to major anthropogenic changes have been well studied, individual physiological responses to mild disturbance can be equally critical to the long-term survival of a species, yet they remain largely unexamined. The current study investigated the impact of seemingly low-level anthropogenic disturbance (ecotourism) on stress responsiveness and specific fitness-related immune measures in different breeding stages of the marine iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus). Specifically, we found stress-induced elevations in plasma corticosterone among tourist-exposed populations relative to undisturbed populations. We also found changes in multiple immunological responses associated with stress-related effects of human disturbance, including bacterial killing ability, cutaneous wound healing, and hemolytic complement activity, and the responses varied according to reproductive state. By identifying health-related consequences of human disturbance, this study provides critical insight into the conservation of a well-known species that has a very distinct ecology. The study also broadens the foundation of knowledge needed to understand the global significance of various levels of human disturbance. PMID:20708010

This activity teaches about the complexity of ocean exploration, the technological applications and capabilities required for ocean exploration, the importance of teamwork in scientific research projects, and developing abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry. The activity provides learning objectives, a list of needed materials, key…

Successful invasive species can overcome or circumvent the potential genetic loss caused by an introduction bottleneck through a rapid population expansion and admixture from multiple introductions. We explore the genetic makeup and the timing of a species introduction to Santa Cruz Island in the Galápagos archipelago. We investigate the presence of processes that can maintain genetic diversity in populations of the broad-nosed weevil Galapaganus howdenae howdenae. Analyses of combined genotypes for 8 microsatellite loci showed evidence of past population size reductions through moment and likelihood-based estimators. No evidence of admixture through multiple introductions was found, but substantial current population sizes (N0 298, 95% credible limits 50-2300), genetic diversity comparable with long-established endemics (Mean number of alleles = 3.875), and lack of genetic structure across the introduced range (F ST = 0.01359) could suggest that foundations are in place for populations to rapidly recover any loss of genetic variability. The time estimates for the introduction into Santa Cruz support an accidental transfer during the colonization period (1832-1959) predating the spurt in human population growth. Our evaluation of the genetic status of G. h. howdenae suggests potential for population growth in addition to our field observations of a concurrent expansion in range and feeding preferences towards protected areas and endemic host plants. PMID:24399746

Parasites comprise a significant percentage of the biodiversity of the planet and are useful systems to test evolutionary and ecological hypotheses. In this study, we analyze the effect of host species identity and the immediate local species assemblage within mixed species colonies of nesting seabirds on patterns of genetic clustering within two species of multihost ectoparasitic lice. We use three genetic markers (one mitochondrial, COI, and two nuclear, EF1-α and wingless) and maximum likelihood phylogenetic trees to test whether (1) parasites show lineage sorting based on their host species; and (2) switching of lineages to the alternate host species depends on the immediate local species assemblage of individual hosts within a colony. Specifically, we examine the genetic structure of two louse species: Eidmanniella albescens, infecting both Nazca (Sula granti) and blue-footed boobies (Sula nebouxii), and Fregatiella aurifasciata, infecting both great (Fregata minor) and magnificent frigatebirds (Fregata magnificens). We found that host species identity was the only factor explaining the patterns of genetic structure in both parasites. In both cases, there is evident genetic differentiation depending on the host species. Thus, a revision of the taxonomy of these louse species is needed. One possible explanation of this pattern is extremely low louse migration rates between host species, perhaps influenced by fine-scale spatial separation of host species within mixed colonies, and low parasite infrapopulation numbers. PMID:26380662

Poor understanding of the water cycle in tropical ecosystems has the potential to exacerbate water shortages and water crises in the region. We suggest that the Galápagos Islands provide an excellent proxy to regions across the tropics as a result of sharp hydroclimatic, anthropogenic, and pedohydrologic gradients across the archipelago. Hydroclimatic and pedohydrologic gradients are found across different elevations on single islands, as well as across the archipelago, whereas anthropogenic gradients reflect land use and land cover change across islands as population and growth in tourism have affected individual islands differently. This article highlights specific opportunities to further examine our understanding of the interactions between water and critical zone processes in tropical ecosystems, making connections between the Galápagos archipelago and much of the understudied tropics. The Galápagos archipelago offers a natural laboratory through which we can examine current threats to freshwater security as well as the dynamics of coupled natural and human systems.

Increased overlap between humans and wildlife populations has increased the risk for novel disease emergence. Detecting contacts with a high risk for transmission of pathogens requires the identification of dependable measures of microbial exchange. We evaluated antibiotic resistance as a molecular marker for the intensity of human-wildlife microbial connectivity in the Galápagos Islands. We isolated Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica from the feces of land iguanas (Conolophus sp.), marine iguanas (Amblyrhynchus cristatus), giant tortoises (Geochelone nigra), and seawater, and tested these bacteria with the use of the disk diffusion method for resistance to 10 antibiotics. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria were found in reptile feces from two tourism sites (Isla Plaza Sur and La Galapaguera on Isla San Cristóbal) and from seawater close to a public use beach near Puerto Baquerizo Moreno on Isla San Cristóbal. No resistance was detected at two protected beaches on more isolated islands (El Miedo on Isla Santa Fe and Cape Douglas on Isla Fernandina) and at a coastal tourism site (La Lobería on Isla San Cristóbal). Eighteen E. coli isolates from three locations, all sites relatively proximate to a port town, were resistant to ampicillin, doxycycline, tetracycline, and trimethoprin/sulfamethoxazole. In contrast, only five S. enterica isolates showed a mild decrease in susceptibility to doxycycline and tetracycline from these same sites (i.e., an intermediate resistance phenotype), but no clinical resistance was detected in this bacterial species. These findings suggest that reptiles living in closer proximity to humans potentially have higher exposure to bacteria of human origin; however, it is not clear from this study to what extent this potential exposure translates to ongoing exchange of bacterial strains or genetic traits. Resistance patterns and bacterial exchange in this system warrant further investigation to understand better how human associations influence disease risk in endemic Galápagos wildlife. PMID:22247374

Anthropogenic disturbance is a relevant and widespread facilitator of environmental change and there is clear evidence that it impacts natural populations. While population-level responses to major anthropogenic changes have been well studied, individual physiological responses to mild disturbance can be equally critical to the long-term survival of a species, yet they remain largely unexamined. The current study investigated the impact of seemingly low-level anthropogenic disturbance (ecotourism) on stress responsiveness and specific fitness-related immune measures in different breeding stages of the marine iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus). Specifically, we found stress-induced elevations in plasma corticosterone among tourist-exposed populations relative to undisturbed populations. We also found changes in multiple immunological responses associated with stress-related effects of human disturbance, including bacterial killing ability, cutaneous wound healing, and hemolytic complement activity, and the responses varied according to reproductive state. By identifying health-related consequences of human disturbance, this study provides critical insight into the conservation of a well-known species that has a very distinct ecology. The study also broadens the foundation of knowledge needed to understand the global significance of various levels of human disturbance. PMID:20708010

These activities are designed to teach about ocean exploration. Students are expected to research the development and implementation of a research vessel/vehicle used for deep ocean exploration, calculate the density of objects by determining the mass and volume, and construct a device that exhibits neutral buoyancy. The activity provides learning…

The unique biodiversity of most oceanic archipelagos is currently threatened by the introduction of alien species that can displace native biota, disrupt native ecological interactions, and profoundly affect community structure and stability. We investigated the threat of aliens on pollination networks in the species-rich lowlands of five Galápagos Islands. Twenty per cent of all species (60 plants and 220 pollinators) in the pooled network were aliens, being involved in 38 per cent of the interactions. Most aliens were insects, especially dipterans (36%), hymenopterans (30%) and lepidopterans (14%). These alien insects had more links than either endemic pollinators or non-endemic natives, some even acting as island hubs. Aliens linked mostly to generalized species, increasing nestedness and thus network stability. Moreover, they infiltrated all seven connected modules (determined by geographical and phylogenetic constraints) of the overall network, representing around 30 per cent of species in two of them. An astonishingly high proportion (38%) of connectors, which enhance network cohesiveness, was also alien. Results indicate that the structure of these emergent novel communities might become more resistant to certain type of disturbances (e.g. species loss), while being more vulnerable to others (e.g. spread of a disease). Such notable changes in network structure as invasions progress are expected to have important consequences for native biodiversity maintenance. PMID:23486435

Parasites comprise a significant percentage of the biodiversity of the planet and are useful systems to test evolutionary and ecological hypotheses. In this study, we analyze the effect of host species identity and the immediate local species assemblage within mixed species colonies of nesting seabirds on patterns of genetic clustering within two species of multihost ectoparasitic lice. We use three genetic markers (one mitochondrial, COI, and two nuclear, EF1-α and wingless) and maximum likelihood phylogenetic trees to test whether (1) parasites show lineage sorting based on their host species; and (2) switching of lineages to the alternate host species depends on the immediate local species assemblage of individual hosts within a colony. Specifically, we examine the genetic structure of two louse species: Eidmanniella albescens, infecting both Nazca (Sula granti) and blue-footed boobies (Sula nebouxii), and Fregatiella aurifasciata, infecting both great (Fregata minor) and magnificent frigatebirds (Fregata magnificens). We found that host species identity was the only factor explaining the patterns of genetic structure in both parasites. In both cases, there is evident genetic differentiation depending on the host species. Thus, a revision of the taxonomy of these louse species is needed. One possible explanation of this pattern is extremely low louse migration rates between host species, perhaps influenced by fine-scale spatial separation of host species within mixed colonies, and low parasite infrapopulation numbers. PMID:26380662

The Re-Os isotope system has become increasingly used as a tracer of lithological heterogeneity in the convecting mantle, with radiogenic 187Os/188Os in high-Os oceanic basalts and picrites widely interpreted as evidence of a melt contribution from ancient recycled oceanic crust. When combined with 206Pb/204Pb and O isotopes, 187Os/188Os ratios have been used to identify distinct lithological units (i.e. sediments, gabbros and basalts). We report new 187Os/188Os for basalts with high Os (>40 ppt) and MgO from Galápagos, which range from near primitive mantle values (0.130) to highly radiogenic (0.155). While co-variations in 187Os/188Os and 206Pb/204Pb for some Galápagos basalts (Floreana-type) are HIMU like, and consistent with melting of ancient recycled oceanic crust, others have variable 187Os/188Os ratios and primitive to depleted mantle like 206Pb/204Pb. Similar variations in Os and Pb isotopic space have been interpreted in other OIB suites as melts from recycled ancient oceanic gabbros, entrained by upwelling mantle plumes. Nevertheless, a marked east-west spatial variation in 187Os/188Os of Galápagos basalts does not correlate with postulated lithological variations in the Galápagos plume (Vidito et al., 2013). We show that basalts in eastern Galápagos with elevated 187Os/188Os and positive Sr anomalies occur in the vicinity of over-thickened 10 Ma gabbroic crust, that formed when the Galápagos plume was on-axis. We propose the elevated 187Os/188Os of Galápagos basalts are due to in-situ assimilation of young gabbroic lower crust, with high Re/Os, rather than melting of ancient recycled material in the Galápagos plume. In western Galápagos recent plume accreted crust is thick but more mafic, the melt flux higher and assimilation more sporadic. The contamination thresholds of Os and MgO in Galápagos basalts occur at higher contents than for many global OIBs (Azores, Iceland, Hawaii) and may reflect both a relatively low melt flux into the crust from the weak Galápagos plume (Tp=1400 oC) and excess thickness of ridge-formed gabbro in the east of the archipelago. Similar in-situ assimilation of lower oceanic crust by high-Os and MgO-rich OIBs suites may have been overlooked in the quest for establishing melting of ancient recycled oceanic gabbro in hotspots and heterogeneity in the convecting mantle.

Host specificity of vectors is an important but understudied force shaping parasite evolution and the relationship between hosts and parasites. Low vector specificity may allow a vectored parasite to invade new host species, whereas high specificity of vectors may reduce the host range of the parasite and favor specialization. The 'generalist' and widely distributed avian skin mite Myialges caulotoon Speiser (Acari: Epidermoptidae) is unusual because females require an insect vector to complete their life cycle. Myialges caulotoon was previously reported from 2 lousefly (Diptera: Hippoboscidae) species, Olfersia sordida and Icosta nigra, parasitizing flightless cormorants (Phalacrocorax harrisi) and Galápagos hawks (Buteo galapagoensis), respectively, within the Galápagos Islands. This is a surprising distribution, given that the 2 lousefly species involved are relatively host-specific. Mitochondrial DNA sequences revealed 2 reciprocally monophyletic Myialges clades that sorted out perfectly with respect to their vector species, regardless of whether they were in allopatry or sympatry. One clade was restricted to flies of hawks and the other to flies of cormorants. Females of the 2 Myialges groups were also separated consistently by the shape of the sternal surface sclerotization. Mites of hawk flies were more abundant than those of cormorant flies. Within the Myialges clade associated with hawks, genetic differentiation between 2 island populations mirrored its host's patterns of differentiation. PMID:17304798

We use radar interferograms and GPS observations to constrain models of magma accumulation and faulting at Sierra Negra volcano, Galápagos, during the years before its 2005 eruption. The data have shown ~5 m of pre-eruption uplift and multiple trapdoor faulting events on an intra-caldera fault system. We find the pattern of uplift to be consistent with an inflating sill at 2.2 km depth under the caldera. Our deformation modeling and stress-change calculations suggest that the inflating sill triggered faulting on an inward- dipping thrust fault and that the faulting in turn relieved the pressure within the sill. This sill-fault interaction tends to thicken the sill and limit its lateral extent within the area bounded by the fault.

Fernandina Volcano, Galápagos (Ecuador), has experienced several uplift and eruption episodes over the last twenty-two years. The ground deformation between 2002 and 2006 was interpreted as the effect of an inflation phenomenon of two separate magma reservoirs beneath the caldera. Moreover, the uplift deformation occurred during the 2005 eruption was concentrated near the circumferential eruptive fissures, while being superimposed on a broad subsidence centred on the caldera. The geodetic studies emphasized the presence of two sub volcanic lateral intrusions from the central storage system in December 2006 and August 2007. The latest eruption in 2009 was characterized by lava flows emitted from the SW radial fissures. We analyze the spatial and temporal ground deformation between March 2012 and July 2013, by using data acquired by COSMO-SkyMed X-band constellation along both ascending and descending orbits and by applying advanced InSAR techniques. In particular, we use the SBAS InSAR approach and combine ascending and descending time series to produce vertical and East-West components of the mean deformation velocity and deformation time series. Our analysis revealed a new uplift phenomenon due to the stress concentration inside the shallow magmatic system of the volcano. In particular, the vertical mean velocity map shows that the deformation pattern is concentrated inside caldera region and is characterized by strongly radial symmetry with a maximum displacement of about 20 cm in uplift; an axial symmetry is also observed in the EW horizontal mean velocity map, showing a maximum displacement of about +12 cm towards East for the SE flank, and -12 cm towards West for the NW flank of the volcano. Moreover, the deformation time series show a rather linear uplift trend from March to September 2012, interrupted by a low deformation rate interval lasting until January 2013. After this stage, the deformation shows again a linear behaviour with an increased uplift rate. Starting from these observations, we set up a 3D time dependent numerical model in a fluid dynamic context; in particular, we consider the creeping flow approximation in order to simulate the stress temporal evolution inside the volcano conduit. The preliminary results show that the stress is concentred in the areas corresponding to the circumferential eruptive fissures mentioned above. The COSMO-SkyMed data used in this study have been processed at IREA-CNR within the SAR4Volcanoes project under Italian Space Agency agreement n. I/034/11/0.

The summit caldera of Isla Fernandina, a large, uninhabited basaltic shield volcano, was further enlarged by 1 to 2 km(3) in June 1968. A small quake and large vapor cloud on 11 June were followed 4 hours later by a remarkable volcanic ash cloud and, after another hour, by a major explosion recorded at infrasonic stations throughout the hemisphere. Seismic activity increased to a peak on 19 June, when more than 200 events per day were recorded by a seismograph 140 km away. Several hundred quakes were in the magnitude range 4.0 to 5.4 m(b), but few such events were recorded after 23 June. Unusual lightning accompanied the major cloud, and, during the evening of 11 June, distant observers reported red glow and flashes from the area. Fine ash fell that night and much of the next day to distances at least 350 km from the volcano. PMID:17739001

The association of seabird species groups with physical habitat was investigated in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, far from any breeding colonies. This avoided birds that commute between colony and feeding habitat, behaviour that confuses associations with specific water types and current systems. Seabirds were counted on duplicate tracks in the eastern tropical Pacific each spring from 1984-1991. On each cruise, seabird habitat was measured on the basis of six factors and focused on three species groups: (A) black-winged petrel and white-winged petrel, (B) Juan Fernandez petrel, wedge-tailed shearwater, and sooty tern, and (C) Leach's storm-petrel and wedge-rumped storm-petrel. Group A was associated with the South Equatorial Current, particularly in cooler waters (median of 26.4??C); both petrel species followed this assemblage association with current. Group B was associated with areas characterized by deep thermoclines (median of 60 m) and low salinities (median of 34.33). Within Group B, two of the three species' responses were consistent with the group pattern; Juan Fernandez petrel differed by occurring more often where thermocline slopes were steep (median of 9.8 deg C m-1). Group C was not associated with any physical habitat variable. This was due to species in the group being associated with different habitats: Leach's storm-petrel with the tropical and equatorial surface water masses and wedge-rumped storm-petrel with waters having shallower thermocline depths (median of 22 m). Overall, two of the three assemblages appeared to be associated with physical habitat during spring with consistency among the species in the group. An association with thermocline depth may indicate that productivity was an important predictor of assemblage presence.

The summer rainfall climate of East Asia underwent large and abrupt changes during past climates. However, current interpretations of said changes are typically formulated in terms of modulation of summer monsoon intensity, and do not account for the known complexity in the seasonal evolution of East Asian rainfall, which exhibits sharp transition from the Spring regime to the Meiyu, and then again from the Meiyu to the Summer regime. We explore the interpretation that East Asian rainfall climate undergoes a modulation of its seasonality during said paleoclimate changes. Following previous suggestions we focus on role of the westerlies over Asia, that its latitude relative to Tibet is critical in determining the stepwise transitions in East Asian rainfall seasons. In support of this linkage, we show from observational data that the interannual co-variation of June (July-August) rainfall and upper tropospheric zonal winds show properties consistent with an altered timing of the transition to the Meiyu (Summer), and with more northward-shifted westerlies for earlier transitions. We similarly suggest that East Asian paleoclimate changes resulted from an altered timing in the northward evolution of the jet and hence the seasonal transitions, in particular the transition of the jet from south of the Plateau to the north. In an extreme scenario - which we speculate the climate system tended towards during stadial (cold) phases of D/O stadials and periods of low Northern Hemisphere summer insolation - the jet does not jump north of the Plateau, essentially keeping East Asia in prolonged Spring conditions. We argue that this hypothesis provides a viable explanation for a key paleoproxy signature of D/O stadials over East Asia, namely the heavier mean d18O of precipitation as recorded in speleothem records. The southward jet position prevents the low-level monsoonal flow - which is isotopically light - from penetrating into the interior of East Asia; as such, precipitation there will be heavier, consistent with speleothem records. This hypothesis can also explain other key evidences of East Asian paleoclimate changes, in particular the occurrence of dusty conditions during North Atlantic stadials, and the southward migration of the Holocene optimal rainfall.

This book was designed for middle and junior high school science classes and focuses on island biogeography, ecology, and evolution. Sections include: (1) "Galapagos: Frame of Reference"; (2) "Ecology and Islands"; and (3) "Evolution." Nineteen standards-based activities use the Galapagos Islands as a running theme but are designed to help…

The field notes of J. R. Slevin written during the expedition of the California Academy of Sciences to the Galapagos Islands in 1905-1096 contain previously unavailable data on the marine turtles of the eastern Pacific. 'Land basking' by green turtles in Galapagos was predominately, if not exclusively, a female behavior. These terrestrial emergences were not concentrated in the major reproductive season of Galapagos turtles. Female Chelonia were also collected on shore during daylight hours on Socorro Island southwest of Baja California, Mexico. Chelonia, green turtles, were observed to feed on seaweed, the leaves and shoots of mangrove trees, and the leaves of another unidentified shoreline shrub. Comparative data on the gonads of dark and yellow turtles indicated that the latter did not breed in Galapagos during Slevin's stay. Lepidochelys olivacea, the olive ridley, was recorded in Galapagos waters and fed on fish eggs

... Do not adopt wild or exotic animals. These animals are more likely to bite. They often carry rare but ... its feces because salmonella is easily passed from animal to human. Wear ... on pet-related infections, contact your veterinarian ...

...We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the opening of an information collection period regarding the status of the ashy storm-petrel (Oceanodroma homochroa) throughout its range in the United States. The status review will include analysis of whether the ashy storm-petrel may be an endangered or threatened species due to threats in any significant portion of the range of......

The stable carbon isotope ratios in clam mantle tissues taken from both Galapagos and 21/sup 0/N hydrothermal vent sites were similar to the unusually low ratios of carbon-13 to carbon-12 previously reported for a Galapagos hydrothermal vent mussel. In marked contrast to these bivalues, vestimentiferan worm tissues from a Galapagos vent had isotope ratios that were higher than those of open ocean biota. These observations suggest that more than one nonpelagic and nonphotosynthetic carbon fixation pathway is of nutritional importance to vent animals, and that at least one of these pathways is common to two geographically separated vent sites.

Examines the role of park guards in the Galapagos National Park in Ecuador, in interpretation and visitor management. Presents strategies for involving the park guards, who function more as rangers, in interpretative activities with local people and national visitors. (LZ)

The giant tortoises in the Galapagos Archipelago diverge considerably in size, and in shape and other carapace characteristics. The saddleback morphotype is known only from insular faunas lacking large terrestrial predators (i.e. Galapagos and Mauritius) and in Galapagos is associated with xeric habitats where vertical feeding range and vertical reach in agonistic encounters are adaptive. The large domed morphotype is associated with relatively cool, mesic habitats where intraspecific competition for food and other resources may be less intense than in xeric habitats. Other external characteristics that differ between tortoise populations are also correlated with ecological variation. Tortoises have radiated into a mosaic of ecological conditions in the Galapagos but critical data are lacking on the role of genetic and environmental controls on phenotypic variation. Morphological divergence in tortoises is potentially a better indicator of present ecological conditions than of evolutionary relationships.

Geological evidence obtained from samples of rocks from Cocos Island, Costa Rica, seems to agree with the idea that this island could have been a stepping stone for organisms migrating to the Galapagos Islands. ?? 1968 Nature Publishing Group.

Polychrosis arenacea Meyrick, 1917 and Polychrosis oxymochla Meyrick, 1917 are transferred to Eccopsis, resulting in two new combinations: Eccopsis arenacea (Meyrick) and Eccopsis oxymochla (Meyrick). In the New World, Eccopsis is recorded from Colombia, Ecuador (including the Galapagos Islands), Pe...

Satellite telemetry studies of the movements of seabirds are now common and have revealed impressive flight capabilities and extensive distributions among individuals and species at sea. Linking seabird movements with environmental conditions over vast expanses of the world's open ocean, however, remains difficult. Seabirds of the order Procellariiformes (e.g., petrels, albatrosses, and shearwaters) depend largely on wind and wave energy for efficient flight. We present a new method for quantifying the movements of far-ranging seabirds in relation to ocean winds measured by the SeaWinds scatterometer onboard the QuikSCAT satellite. We apply vector correlation (as defined by Crosby et al. in J Atm Ocean Tech 10:355-367, 1993) to evaluate how the trajectories (ground speed and direction) for five procellariiform seabirds outfitted with satellite transmitters are related to ocean winds. Individual seabirds (Sooty Shearwater, Pink-footed Shearwater, Hawaiian Petrel, Grey-faced Petrel, and Black-footed Albatross) all traveled predominantly with oblique, isotropic crossing to quartering tail-winds (i.e., 105-165 degrees in relation to birds' trajectory). For all five seabirds, entire track line trajectories were significantly correlated with co-located winds. Greatest correlations along 8-day path segments were related to wind patterns during birds' directed, long-range migration (Sooty Shearwater) as well as movements associated with mega-scale meteorological phenomena, including Pacific Basin anticyclones (Hawaiian Petrel, Grey-faced Petrel) and eastward-propagating north Pacific cyclones (Black-footed Albatross). Wind strength and direction are important factors related to the overall movements that delineate the distribution of petrels at sea. We suggest that vector correlation can be used to quantify movements for any marine vertebrate when tracking and environmental data (winds or currents) are of sufficient quality and sample size. Vector correlation coefficients

Differences in dispersal abilities have been implicated for causing disparate evolutionary patterns between Columbicola and Physconelloides lice (Insecta: Phthiraptera). However, no study has documented straggling (when lice are found on atypical hosts) rates within these lineages. We used the fact that the Galapagos Hawk, Buteo galapagoensis (Gould) (Falconiformes) feeds on the Galapagos Dove Zenaida galapagoensis Gould (Columbiformes) within an ecologically simplified setting. The Galapagos Dove is the only typical host of Columbicola macrourae (Wilson) and Physconelloides galapagensis (Kellogg and Huwana) in Galapagos. We quantitatively sampled and found these lice on both bird species. A DNA barcoding approach confirmed that stragglers were derived from Galapagos doves. We also collected a Bovicola sp. louse, likely originating from a goat (Capra hircus). On hawks, C. macrourae was significantly more prevalent than P. galapagensis. On doves, the two lice were equally prevalent and abundant. Differences in prevalence on hawks was a function of differences in straggling rate between lice, and not a reflection of their relative representation within the dove population. This provides further evidence that differences in dispersal abilities may drive differences in the degree of cospeciation in Columbicola and Phyconelloides lice, which have become model systems in evolutionary biology. PMID:15380682

Chemical signals yield critical socio-ecological information in many animals, such as species, identity, social status or sex, but have been poorly investigated in birds. Recent results showed that chemical signals are used to recognize their nest and partner by some petrel seabirds whose olfactory anatomy is well developed and which possess a life-history propitious to olfactory-mediated behaviours. Here, we investigate whether blue petrels (Halobaena caerulea) produce some chemical labels potentially involved in kin recognition and inbreeding avoidance. To overcome methodological constraints of chemical analysis and field behavioural experiments, we used an indirect behavioural approach, based on mice olfactory abilities in discriminating odours. We showed that mice (i) can detect odour differences between individual petrels, (ii) perceive a high odour similarity between a chick and its parents, and (iii) perceive this similarity only before fledging but not during the nestling developmental stage. Our results confirm the existence of an individual olfactory signature in blue petrels and show for the first time, to our knowledge, that birds may exhibit an olfactory kin label, which may have strong implications for inbreeding avoidance. PMID:21525047

Since the groundbreaking work of Wenzel, Bang, and Grubb in the 1960s, enormous progress has been made toward elucidating the sense of smell in procellariiform seabirds. Although it is now well established that adult procellariiforms use olfaction in many behaviors, such as for foraging, nest relocation, and mate recognition, the olfactory abilities of petrel chicks are less well understood. Recent studies have shown that petrel chicks can recognize prey-related odors and odors associated with their nest before leaving their burrow for the first time. The recognition of burrow odors by petrel chicks is unlikely to be used for homing, and we have suggested that chicks may be learning personal odors associated with the nest's occupants for use later in life in the context of kin recognition or mate choice. The source of personal odors in petrels is unknown. However, in other vertebrates, the major histocompatibility complex influences body odors, which in turn influence mating preferences. It is not currently known whether this highly polymorphic gene region influences body odors and individual recognition in the procellariiforms, but this could be a fruitful area of future research. PMID:19686174

In 2003, birds similar to the extinct New Zealand storm-petrel Oceanites maorianus were observed in Hauraki Gulf NZ, raising the possibility of rediscovery after 150 years. O. maorianus has and continues to be surrounded by taxonomic uncertainty, being variously described as a distinct genus, a distinct species, or merely a plumage variant. This uncertainty has hindered conservation planning and funding for the species. Here we examine the taxonomic identity of the rediscovered birds and museum specimens using phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial (1143 bp cytochrome b) and nuclear (890 bp β-fibrinogen) genes. Using cytochrome b sequence amplified from the 150+ year old specimens, we found that the extant and museum O. maorianus were the same taxon (0.01 genetic distance), with both differing from all other storm-petrel taxa. Using both genes, we examined the phylogenetic affinities of O. maorianus to the Oceanitinae and Hydrobatinae storm-petrels finding that O. maorianus was more closely aligned to Fregetta (0.08-0.09) than Oceanites (0.11-0.12), thereby confirming its status as a distinct taxon, not a plumage variant of O. oceanicus. Our analysis verifies that the previously presumed extinct New Zealand storm-petrel has been rediscovered and can now be assigned a conservation priority commensurate with its critically endangered status. PMID:21855642

The United Kingdom civilian scientific balloon and rocket program for 1979, 1980, 1981 are summarized and the areas of scientific interest for the period 1981 to 1985 are mentioned. Ten balloons up to 40 cu m to be launched from the USA or Australia and launches of up to ten 7.5 in. diameter Petrel rockets are planned.

The Skylark, Petrel, Fulmar and Skua sounding rockets are described and over 750 flights using these rockets are summarized. Astrophysical and solar-terrestrial physics phenomena; the magnetosphere; space plasmas; and neutral winds were studied. Rockets were also used for X-ray astronomy.

... substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that the petitioned action may be warranted (73 FR... (74 FR 41832). The Center for Biological Diversity challenged this decision in the District Court of... storm-petrel in the Federal Register on November 28, 2012 (77 FR 70987). Background This finding...

The distribution of seabirds and pinnipeds and their relationship to physical oceanographic variables were investigated as part of the US Southern Ocean Global Ocean Ecosystem Dynamics field program along a study grid centered around Marguerite Bay on the west Antarctic Peninsula during late fall (April-May) and winter (July-August), 2001. Sea-ice conditions during the cruises provided an opportunity to compare the relationship among physical oceanographic variables and species distributions before and after the development of pack ice. During the fall cruise before pack ice development, both sea-ice-affiliated species and open-water-affiliated were observed in the area. The most common ice-affiliated species observed at this time were snow petrel ( Pagodroma nivea, 0.7 individuals km -2) and Antarctic petrel ( Thalassoica antarctica, 0.2 individuals km -2) and the most common open-water-affiliated species were blue petrel ( Halobaena caerulea, 0.4 individuals km -2), cape petrel ( Daption capense, 0.2 individuals km -2), and southern fulmar ( Fulmarus glacialoides, 0.1 individuals km -2). In addition, Antarctic fur seals ( Arctocephalus gazella, 0.1 individuals km -2) and crabeater seals ( Lobodon carcinophagus, 0.4 individuals km -2) were observed in low numbers. Akaike's information criterion was used to assess competing models that predicted predator distributions based on physical oceanographic variables proposed to structure predator distribution in previous research. These analyses indicated that predator distributions were primarily associated with water-mass structure and variability in bottom depth during the fall cruise. Crabeater seal, snow petrel, Antarctic petrel, and southern fulmar had higher densities in Inner Shelf Water, particularly near Alexander Island where a coastal current was present. Blue petrel, kelp gull ( Larus dominicanus), and southern giant petrel ( Macronectes giganteus) were positively associated with variability in bottom depth

The distribution of seabirds and pinnipeds and their relationship to physical oceanographic variables were investigated as part of the US Southern Ocean Global Ocean Ecosystem Dynamics field program along a study grid centered around Marguerite Bay on the west Antarctic Peninsula during late fall (April-May) and winter (July-August), 2001. Sea-ice conditions during the cruises provided an opportunity to compare the relationship among physical oceanographic variables and species distributions before and after the development of pack ice. During the fall cruise before pack ice development, both sea-ice-affiliated species and open-water-affiliated were observed in the area. The most common ice-affiliated species observed at this time were snow petrel (Pagodroma nivea, 0.7 individuals km-2) and Antarctic petrel (Thalassoica antarctica, 0.2 individuals km-2) and the most common open-water-affiliated species were blue petrel (Halobaena caerulea, 0.4 individuals km-2), cape petrel (Daption capense, 0.2 individuals km-2), and southern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialoides, 0.1 individuals km-2). In addition, Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella, 0.1 individuals km-2) and crabeater seals (Lobodon carcinophagus, 0.4 individuals km-2) were observed in low numbers. Akaike's information criterion was used to assess competing models that predicted predator distributions based on physical oceanographic variables proposed to structure predator distribution in previous research. These analyses indicated that predator distributions were primarily associated with water-mass structure and variability in bottom depth during the fall cruise. Crabeater seal, snow petrel, Antarctic petrel, and southern fulmar had higher densities in Inner Shelf Water, particularly near Alexander Island where a coastal current was present. Blue petrel, kelp gull (Larus dominicanus), and southern giant petrel (Macronectes giganteus) were positively associated with variability in bottom depth in April

High calcium ion and low magnesium ion concentrations in sediment pore waters in cores from the Galapagos Mounds Hydrothermal Field on the flank of the Galapagos Spreading Center are believed to be due to a calcium-magnesium exchange reaction between circulating seawater and basement basalt. The nonlinearity of the calcium ions and magnesium ion gradients indicates that these discharging hydrothermal solutions on the ridge flank are upwelling at the rate of about 1 centimeter per year through the pelagic sediments of the Mounds Field and at about 20 centimeters per year through the hydrothermal mounds themselves.

Since no civilization can survive without a healthy environment, people must learn to live in harmony with their natural ecosystems and build for future generations. This guide describes six award-winning programs on the condor, black-footed ferret, panthers and cheetahs, ducks, farming and wildlife, and the Galapagos Islands. Although each…

To investigate why some lineages undergo evolutionary radiation, we compare the passerine avifaunas of the Hawaiian and Galapagos archipelagoes, which have supported well-known radiations of birds, with those of the Lesser Antilles, which have not. We focus on four steps required for the buildup of diversity through allopatric speciation and secondary sympatry: genetic divergence in isolation, persistence of island populations, recolonization of source islands, and ecological compatibility in secondary sympatry. Analysis of genetic divergence among island populations in the Lesser Antilles reveals evidence of both prolonged independent evolution and re-expansion of differentiated island populations through the archipelago but little evidence of secondary sympatry of divergent genetic lineages. Archipelagoes with high rates of colonization from continental or nearby large-island sources might fail to promote evolutionary radiations because colonists fill ecological space and constrain diversification through competition. However, morphological analysis demonstrated similar divergence between allopatric populations in species in Hawaii, Galapagos, and the Lesser Antilles, although the rate of divergence between secondarily sympatric species evidently is more rapid in Hawaii and the Galapagos. Alternatively, endemic buildup of diversity might be facilitated by the relative absence of pathogens in Hawaii and Galapagos that otherwise could prevent the secondary sympatry of populations owing to disease-mediated competition. PMID:17230401

emphasize the need for early climate change adaptation and mitigation planning, especially for species with limited breeding distributions and/or ranges restricted primarily to the low-lying NWHI: Cyperus pennatiformis var. bryanii, Black-footed Albatross (Phoebastria nigripes), Laysan Albatross (P. immutabilis), Bonin Petrel (Pterodroma hypoleuca), Gray-backed Tern (Onychoprion lunatus), Laysan Teal (Anas laysanensis), Laysan Finch (Telespiza cantans), and Hawaiian monk seal (Monachus schauinslandi). Furthermore, SLR scenarios that include the effects of wave dynamics and groundwater rise may indicate amplified vulnerability to climate change driven habitat loss on low-lying islands. In chapter 2, we incorporated the combined effects of SLR, dynamic wave-driven inundation, and rising groundwater in a quantitative study specifically for the Laysan Island ecosystem. This is the first hydrodynamic model to simulate the combined impacts of SLR and wave-driven inundation in the NWHI. We developed a high-resolution digital elevation model (mean vertical accuracy of 0.32 m) for the island. Then using recent satellite imagery, geospatial models, and historical oceanographic, storm, and biological data we estimated potential inundation extent, habitat loss, and wildlife population impacts for a range of potential SLR scenarios (0.00, +0.50, +1.00, +1.50, and +2.00 m) that may occur over the next century. Additionally, we estimated the carrying capacity of Laysan Island for five species based on the available population monitoring data and described how potential losses in nesting habitat could influence population dynamics for Black-footed Albatross, Laysan Albatross, Red-footed Booby (Sula sula), Laysan Teal, and Laysan Finch. For some other seabird populations (Masked Booby, S. dactylatra; Brown Booby, S. leucogaster; Great Frigatebird, Fregata minor; and Sooty Tern, Onychoprion fuscata), we used recent colony distribution data, land cover maps, and nesting behavior to estimate

Isolated oceanic islands are characterized by patterns of biological diversity different from that on nearby continental mainlands. Isolation can provide the opportunity for evolutionary divergence, but also set the stage for hybridization between related taxa arriving from different sources. Ferns disperse by haploid spores, which are produced in large numbers and can travel long distances in air currents, enabling these plants to become established on most oceanic islands. Here, we examine the origins and patterns of diversity of the cosmopolitan fern genus Pteridium (Dennstaedtiaceae; bracken) on the Galapagos Islands. We use nucleotide sequences from two plastid genes, and two nuclear gene markers, to examine phylogeography of Pteridium on the Galapagos Islands. We incorporate data from a previous study to provide a worldwide context. We also sampled new specimens from South and Central America. We used flow cytometry to estimate genome size of some accessions. We found that both plastid and nuclear haplotypes fall into two distinct clades, consistent with a two-diploid-species taxonomy of P. aquilinum and P. esculentum. As predicted, the allotetraploid P. caudatum possesses nuclear haplotypes from both diploid species. Samples from the Galapagos include P. esculentum subsp. arachnoideum, P. caudatum and possible hybrids between them. Multiple Pteridium taxa were also observed growing together at some sites. We find evidence for multiple origins of Pteridium on the Galapagos Islands and multiple origins of tetraploid P. caudatum throughout its range in Central and South America. We also posit that P. caudatum may include recent diploid hybrids, backcrosses to P. esculentum, as well as allotetraploid plants. The Galapagos Islands are positioned close to the equator where they can receive dispersing propagules from both hemispheres. This may partly explain the high levels of diversity found for this cosmopolitan fern on these islands. PMID:26487677

Bulk chemical analyses are performed for major and minor elements using a variety of techniques on a suite of 9 samples of sea floor massive sulfide deposits from 21?N EPR, Juan de Fuca Ridge and Galapagos Rift. Results indicate that deposits at 21?N and Juan de Fuca are very similar despite a geographic separation of 2300 km and are composed primarily of Zn, Fe, and S, with important minor concentrations of Ag, As, Cd and Ge. The Galapagos Rift massive sulfide is primarily Fe, Cu and S and with important minor contents of only Co and Mo. Au is low, ranging from below detection up to 0.17 ppm. Pt group metals are very low, and average about 0.001 ppm. Consideration of enrichment factors and relative metal abundance suggests that MORB is a sufficient source for all the metals enriched in the sea floor deposits. The economically important metals for the 21?N and Juan de Fuca deposits are primarily Zn and Ag, (97%) with potential by-products of Cu, Cd and possibly, Ge. For the Galapagos Rift, the primary value is with Cu (86%) with potential by-products of Co and Mo. The Galapagos Rift deposit is similar to, but contains about twice the Cu content, of typical ore from the Skouriotisa mine of the Troodos complex of Cyprus. The grade of the 21?N/Juan de Fuca deposits is 4 times greater than that of the Galapagos Rift and about twice that of prime deep-sea manganese nodules.

Isolated oceanic islands are characterized by patterns of biological diversity different from that on nearby continental mainlands. Isolation can provide the opportunity for evolutionary divergence, but also set the stage for hybridization between related taxa arriving from different sources. Ferns disperse by haploid spores, which are produced in large numbers and can travel long distances in air currents, enabling these plants to become established on most oceanic islands. Here, we examine the origins and patterns of diversity of the cosmopolitan fern genus Pteridium (Dennstaedtiaceae; bracken) on the Galapagos Islands. We use nucleotide sequences from two plastid genes, and two nuclear gene markers, to examine phylogeography of Pteridium on the Galapagos Islands. We incorporate data from a previous study to provide a worldwide context. We also sampled new specimens from South and Central America. We used flow cytometry to estimate genome size of some accessions. We found that both plastid and nuclear haplotypes fall into two distinct clades, consistent with a two-diploid-species taxonomy of P. aquilinum and P. esculentum. As predicted, the allotetraploid P. caudatum possesses nuclear haplotypes from both diploid species. Samples from the Galapagos include P. esculentum subsp. arachnoideum, P. caudatum and possible hybrids between them. Multiple Pteridium taxa were also observed growing together at some sites. We find evidence for multiple origins of Pteridium on the Galapagos Islands and multiple origins of tetraploid P. caudatum throughout its range in Central and South America. We also posit that P. caudatum may include recent diploid hybrids, backcrosses to P. esculentum, as well as allotetraploid plants. The Galapagos Islands are positioned close to the equator where they can receive dispersing propagules from both hemispheres. This may partly explain the high levels of diversity found for this cosmopolitan fern on these islands. PMID:26487677

Organochlorine and mercury concentrations are reported for 252 eggs of Leach's storm-petrel (Oceanodroma leucorhoa), double-crested cormorant (Phalarocorax auritus), common eider (Somateria mollissima), common tern (Sterna hirundo), razorbill (Alca torda), common murre (Uria aalge) black guillemot (Cepphus grylle), and Atlantic puffin (Fratercula arctica) from the Bay of Fundy, the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and the open Atlantic shore of Canada during 1970-76. Concentrations of all organochlorines except DDE and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were low. DDE, PCBs, and mercury residues were highest in cormorant and petrel, intermediated in alcids, and lowest in eider and tern. Temporal and spatial aspects of contamination patterns are discussed. Authors conclude that only in cormorants were DDE residues high enough to cause, through eggshell thinning, local population declines. PMID:117427

Increased urban lighting on Kauai Island, Hawaii, has resulted in new problems for threatened and endangered procellariiform birds. Between 1978 and 1985,11,767 Kewell's shearwaters, 38 dark-rumped petrels, and 8 band-rumped storm petrels were attracted to bright urban lights, struck unseen objects, and fell to the ground. A salvage effort involving public cooperation and government-run 'aid stations' has returned 90% of these birds to the wild. Nightly fallout of seabirds was significantly reduced during the full moon, but fallout increased as the new moon approached. The heaviest fallout occurred in urban coastal areas, particularly at river mouths. More than 97% of the fallout involved fledgling birds apparently leaving their mountain nesting grounds for the first time. Less than 1%of these birds were recovered again on subsequent nights.

A Petrel rocket carrying a double cell rubidium magnetometer was launched from the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station during the early main phase of a magnetic storm. No ionospheric currents associated with the storm were observed, and the large field depression at the flight time must therefore be attributed to currents at higher altitudes. The equatorial enhancement of ionospheric magnetic storm currents, predicted on the basis of theory and earlier ground data, was not observed.

A Petrel rocket carrying a double cell rubidium magnetometer was launched from the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station during the early main phase of a magnetic storm. No ionospheric currents associated with the storm were observed and the large field depression, at the flight time, must therefore be attributed to currents at higher altitudes. The equatorial enhancement of ionospheric magnetic storm currents, predicted on the basis of theory and earlier ground data, was not observed.

A key hypothesis guiding the US Southern Ocean Global Ocean Ecosystems Dynamics (US SO GLOBEC) program is that deep across-shelf troughs facilitate the transport of warm and nutrient-rich waters onto the continental shelf of the Western Antarctic Peninsula, resulting in enhanced winter production and prey availability to top predators. We tested aspects of this hypothesis during austral winter by assessing the distribution of the resident pack-ice top predators in relation to these deep across-shelf troughs and by investigating associations between top predators and their prey. Surveys were conducted July-August 2001 and August-September 2002 in Marguerite Bay, Antarctica, with a focus on the main across-shelf trough in the bay, Marguerite Trough. The common pack-ice seabird species were snow petrel ( Pagodroma nivea, 1.2 individuals km -2), Antarctic petrel ( Thalassoica antarctica, 0.3 individuals km -2), and Adélie penguin ( Pygoscelis adeliae, 0.5 individuals km -2). The most common pack-ice pinniped was crabeater seal ( Lobodon carcinophagus). During both winters, snow and Antarctic petrels were associated with low sea-ice concentrations independent of Marguerite Trough, while Adélie penguins occurred in association with this trough. Krill concentrations, both shallow and deep, also were associated with Adélie penguin and snow petrel distributions. During both winters, crabeater seal occurrence was associated with deep krill concentrations and with regions of lower chlorophyll concentration. The area of lower chlorophyll concentrations occurred in an area with complex bathymetry close to land and heavy ice concentrations. Complex or unusual bathymetry via its influence on physical and biological processes appears to be one of the keys to understanding how top predators survive during the winter in this Antarctic region.

A key hypothesis guiding the US Southern Ocean Global Ocean Ecosystems Dynamics (US SO GLOBEC) program is that deep across-shelf troughs facilitate the transport of warm and nutrient-rich waters onto the continental shelf of the Western Antarctic Peninsula, resulting in enhanced winter production and prey availability to top predators. We tested aspects of this hypothesis during austral winter by assessing the distribution of the resident pack-ice top predators in relation to these deep across-shelf troughs and by investigating associations between top predators and their prey. Surveys were conducted July-August 2001 and August-September 2002 in Marguerite Bay, Antarctica, with a focus on the main across-shelf trough in the bay, Marguerite Trough. The common pack-ice seabird species were snow petrel (Pagodroma nivea, 1.2 individuals km-2), Antarctic petrel (Thalassoica antarctica, 0.3 individuals km-2), and Ade??lie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae, 0.5 individuals km-2). The most common pack-ice pinniped was crabeater seal (Lobodon carcinophagus). During both winters, snow and Antarctic petrels were associated with low sea-ice concentrations independent of Marguerite Trough, while Ade??lie penguins occurred in association with this trough. Krill concentrations, both shallow and deep, also were associated with Ade??lie penguin and snow petrel distributions. During both winters, crabeater seal occurrence was associated with deep krill concentrations and with regions of lower chlorophyll concentration. The area of lower chlorophyll concentrations occurred in an area with complex bathymetry close to land and heavy ice concentrations. Complex or unusual bathymetry via its influence on physical and biological processes appears to be one of the keys to understanding how top predators survive during the winter in this Antarctic region. ?? 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Seabird tissues, collected during the 1988 breeding season from colonies on the Atlantic coast of Canada, were analyzed for toxic metals--Cd, Hg and Pb--and 18 other trace elements. Metallothionein (MT) was measured in kidney, and kidneys and livers underwent histopathological examination. Levels of most essential trace elements appear to be closely regulated in seabird tissues; values were in good agreement with those previously reported in the published literature. Liver-Se concentrations in Leach's storm-petrels (Oceanodroma leukorrhea) (77.6 + 7.49 micrograms/g dry weight) were much higher than values normally reported for free-living birds and mammals. Cd levels varied greatly among individuals, but were always higher in kidney than in liver. Highest mean Cd concentrations (183 + 65 micrograms/g dry weight) were in kidneys of the planktivorous Leach's storm-petrels from the Gulf of St. Lawrence. A few individuals of this species had values greater than 300 micrograms/g dry weight. Cd and metallothionein (MT) concentrations were positively correlated in kidneys of Leach's storm-petrels (r = 0.692), Atlantic puffin (Fratercula arctica) (r = 0.845) and herring gull (Larus argentatus) (r = 0.866). Concentrations of total Hg varied greatly among species and individuals, but were consistently higher in liver than in kidney. Highest mean levels (21 + 28 micrograms/g) were in livers of the piscivorous double-crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) from Saint John Harbour in the Bay of Fundy. Concentrations of Hg and Se were positively correlated (r = 0.736) in livers of Leach's storm-petrel, but not in other species. Pb concentrations were consistently greatest in bone, with mean levels being highest in herring gulls from a colony in the Bay of Fundy (63 + 36 micrograms/g). Histological examination of liver and kidney failed to reveal indications of tissue damage associated with elevated levels of heavy metals. PMID:1554255

Eggs of three seabird species, double-crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus). Leach's storm-petrel (Oceanodroma leucorhoa), and Atlantic puffin (Fratercula arctica) were collected at four-year intervals from 1968 to 1984, from colonies in eastern Canada and analyzed for organochlorines. This monitoring study was established to provide data on contamination of the marine environment and possible implications for seabird health. Long-term trend data are presented for PCBs, DDE, dieldrin, HCB, oxychlordane, heptachlor epoxide, HCH and mirex. DDE and PCBs declined significantly in all species from the Bay of Fundy. DDE declined significantly in puffins and petrels while PCBs declined only in petrels from the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland. Generally DDE declined more than PCBs. Dieldrin, oxychlordane, HCH and mirex levels decreased at some locations but were stable at others. Hexachlorobenzene and heptachlor epoxide levels remained steady or increased significantly, depending on the species and location. Organochlorine levels in cormorants from the St. Lawrence River estuary showed no significant trends. PMID:15092478

Mercury (Hg) is a toxic element distributed globally through atmospheric transport. Agattu Island, located in the western Aleutian Islands, Alaska, has no history of point-sources of Hg contamination. We provide baseline levels of total mercury (THg) concentrations in breast feathers of three birds that breed on the island. Geometric mean THg concentrations in feathers of fork-tailed storm-petrels (Oceanodroma furcata; 6703 ± 1635, ng/g fresh weight [fw]) were higher than all other species, including snowy owl (Bubo scandiacus; 2105 ± 1631, ng/g fw), a raptor with a diet composed largely of storm-petrels at Agattu Island. There were no significant differences in mean THg concentrations of breast feathers among adult Kittlitz's murrelet (Brachyramphus brevirostris; 1658 ± 1276, ng/g fw) and chicks (1475 ± 671, ng/g fw) and snowy owls. The observed THg concentrations in fork-tailed storm-petrel feathers emphasizes the need for further study of Hg pollution in the western Aleutian Islands. PMID:24656750

Bird species from the order Procellariiformes or petrels, including the northern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis), produce high lipid and high energy content stomach oils from the prey they consume, which enables them to exploit distant marine food sources. Stomach oils are also used as a food source for chicks and for defensive purposes. Samples of stomach oils from two Arctic colonies, St. George Island Alaska, USA and Cape Vera, Devon Island Nunavut, Canada, were collected and analyzed for organochlorine contaminants. SigmaPCB concentrations ranged from 13 to 236 ng g(-1) wet weight (ww) and SigmaDDT concentrations from 5 to 158 ng g(-1) ww and were similar in both sites, though differences in chemical signatures were apparent. Stomach oils are a rich energy source; however, they may also provide a higher dose of contaminants per unit energy than the direct consumption of prey items, as illustrated using mass and energy balance calculations to estimate chick exposure to SigmaDDT for hypothetical stomach oil and whole prey diets. The results of this study suggest that stomach oils are an important vector of organochlorine contaminants to chicks and should be considered in future risk assessments of northern fulmars and other species of petrels. To our knowledge this is the first study of stomach oils as an overlooked vector of organochlorine contaminants to chicks and as a potentially valuable medium for dietary analysis and noninvasive biomonitoring both of petrel dietary exposure and of marine contaminant concentrations. PMID:20707316

Weather extremes are one important element of ongoing climate change, but their impacts are poorly understood because they are, by definition, rare events. If the frequency and severity of extreme weather events increase, there is an urgent need to understand and predict the ecological consequences of such events. In this study, we aimed to quantify the effects of snow storms on nest survival in Antarctic petrels and assess whether snow storms are an important driver of annual breeding success and population growth rate. We used detailed data on daily individual nest survival in a year with frequent and heavy snow storms, and long term data on petrel productivity (i.e., number of chicks produced) at the colony level. Our results indicated that snow storms are an important determinant of nest survival and overall productivity. Snow storm events explained 30% of the daily nest survival within the 2011/2012 season and nearly 30% of the interannual variation in colony productivity in period 1985-2014. Snow storms are a key driver of Antarctic petrel breeding success, and potentially population dynamics. We also found state-dependent effects of snow storms and chicks in poor condition were more likely to die during a snow storm than chicks in good condition. This stresses the importance of considering interactions between individual heterogeneity and extreme weather events to understand both individual and population responses to climate change. PMID:25691959

Mercury (Hg) is a toxic element distributed globally through atmospheric transport. Agattu Island, located in the western Aleutian Islands, Alaska, has no history of point-sources of Hg contamination. We provide baseline levels of total mercury (THg) concentrations in breast feathers of three birds that breed on the island. Geometric mean THg concentrations in feathers of fork-tailed storm-petrels (Oceanodroma furcata; 6703 ± 1635, ng/g fresh weight [fw]) were higher than all other species, including snowy owl (Bubo scandiacus; 2105 ± 1631, ng/g fw), a raptor with a diet composed largely of storm-petrels at Agattu Island. There were no significant differences in mean THg concentrations of breast feathers among adult Kittlitz’s murrelet (Brachyramphus brevirostris; 1658 ± 1276, ng/g fw) and chicks (1475 ± 671, ng/g fw) and snowy owls. The observed THg concentrations in fork-tailed storm-petrel feathers emphasizes the need for further study of Hg pollution in the western Aleutian Islands.

Weather extremes are one important element of ongoing climate change, but their impacts are poorly understood because they are, by definition, rare events. If the frequency and severity of extreme weather events increase, there is an urgent need to understand and predict the ecological consequences of such events. In this study, we aimed to quantify the effects of snow storms on nest survival in Antarctic petrels and assess whether snow storms are an important driver of annual breeding success and population growth rate. We used detailed data on daily individual nest survival in a year with frequent and heavy snow storms, and long term data on petrel productivity (i.e., number of chicks produced) at the colony level. Our results indicated that snow storms are an important determinant of nest survival and overall productivity. Snow storm events explained 30% of the daily nest survival within the 2011/2012 season and nearly 30% of the interannual variation in colony productivity in period 1985–2014. Snow storms are a key driver of Antarctic petrel breeding success, and potentially population dynamics. We also found state-dependent effects of snow storms and chicks in poor condition were more likely to die during a snow storm than chicks in good condition. This stresses the importance of considering interactions between individual heterogeneity and extreme weather events to understand both individual and population responses to climate change. PMID:25691959

OBJECTIVE To determine pet-related management factors associated with the carriage of antimicrobial-resistant Salmonella spp and Escherichia coli in a population of pet dogs. SAMPLE 138 dogs from 84 households in Ontario, Canada. PROCEDURES From October 2005 through May 2006, dogs and households in Ontario, Canada, were recruited to participate in a cross-sectional study. Fecal samples were submitted for culture of Salmonella spp and E coli, which provided 515 bacterial isolates for antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Multilevel logistic regression models with random effects for household and dog were created to identify pet-related management factors associated with antimicrobial resistance. RESULTS Bacterial species, feeding a homemade diet or adding homemade food to the diet, feeding a raw diet or adding anything raw to the diet, feeding a homemade raw food diet, and feeding raw chicken in the past week were significant risk factors for antimicrobial resistance in this population of dogs. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE In this study, several potentially important pet-related risk factors for the carriage of antimicrobial-resistant Salmonella spp and E coli in pet dogs were identified. Further evaluation of risk factors for antimicrobial resistance in dogs may lead to development of evidence-based guidelines for safe and responsible dog ownership and management to protect the public, especially pet owners who are immunocompromised. PMID:26512541

The Caribbean Large Igneous Province (CLIP) consists of the Caribbean oceanic plateau and associated magmatic terranes along the Pacific coast of central America and western Colombia and is interpreted to mark the initiation of the Galapagos hotspot 75-95 Ma ago. New 176Hf/177Hf data show: 1) a depleted end-member (176Hf/177Hfin= 0.28324) represented by lavas from DSDP site 152 ( ~75 Ma) in the central Caribbean, lavas from the young Osa Peninsula ( ~62 Ma) and basalts from the Cocos and Carnegie Ridges portions of the Miocene Galapagos hotspot track, and 2) an enriched end-member (176Hf/177Hfin = 0.28298) represented by lavas from DSDP site 151 and by the younger Quepos terrane of Costa Rica ( ~59 Ma). Our results support previous interpretations, based on trace elements and Sr, Nd and Pb isotopic ratios (Hauff et al., 2000) that infer mixing between the regular depleted MORB mantle source, or alternatively a depleted plume component derived from recycled oceanic crust, and an enriched Galapagos plume source. Lavas from the Caribbean Island of Curacao and western Colombia have elevated epsilon Hf for a given epsilon Nd relative to the Nd-Hf mantle array, suggesting influence of a pelagic sediment component. Similar Nd-Hf isotope compositions are observed in lavas from the southern Galapagos island of Floreana (Blichert-Toft and White, 2001). High epsilon Hf relative to the mantle array is also observed in a lava from the Malpelo Ridge, part of the Galapagos hotspot track, ~200 km off the coast of Panama. In addition to the regular depleted MORB and enriched plume source, a crustal source component is required to account for the spatial and temporal isotopic variations in the magmatic products of the Galapagos plume. F. Hauff, K. Hoernle, G. Tilton, D.W. Graham and A.C. Kerr (2000) EPSL 174, p.247-263 J. Blichert-Toft and W.M. White (2001) G-cubed, in press

In this qualitative case study, preservice science teachers (PSTs) enrolled in their advanced methods course participated in a complex, data-rich investigation based on an adapted version of the Struggle for Survival curriculum. Fundamental to the investigation was the use of the Galapagos Finches software and an emphasis on giving priority to evidence and constructing evidence-based arguments. The questions that guided the research were: (1) What is the nature of the scientific arguments developed by PSTs? (2) How do PSTs go about constructing scientific arguments (emphasis on processes and strategies)? (3) In what ways do the scaffolds embedded in the Galapagos Finches software influence the development of PSTs arguments? Two pairs of PSTs were selected for in-depth examination. The primary sources of data were the electronic artifacts generated in the Galapagos Finches software environment and the videotaped interactions of both pairs as they investigated the data set, constructed and revised their arguments, engaged in peer review sessions, and presented their arguments to the class at the end of the unit. Four major patterns emerged through analysis of the data. First, using the software, PSTs consistently constructed claims that were linked to evidence from the investigation. Second, although PSTs consistently grounded their arguments in evidence, they still exhibited a number of limitations reported in the literature. Third, the software served as a powerful vehicle for revealing PSTs knowledge of evolution and natural selection. Finally, the PSTs approach to the task had a strong influence on the way they used the software.

We estimated levels of diversity at the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II DRß1 gene in 50 breeding pairs of the Magellanic penguin and compared those to estimates from Humboldt and Galapagos penguins. We tested for positive selection and 2 conditions required for the evolution of MHC-based disassortative mating: 1) greater MHC diversity between breeding pairs compared to random mating, and 2) associations between MHC genotype and fitness. Cloning and sequencing of the DRß1 gene showed that Magellanic penguins had higher levels of genetic variation than Galapagos and Humboldt penguins. Sequence analysis revealed 45 alleles with 3.6% average proportion of nucleotide differences, nucleotide diversity of 0.030, and observed heterozygosity of 0.770. A gene phylogeny showed 9 allelic lineages with interspersed DRß1 sequences from Humboldt and Galapagos penguins, indicating ancestral polymorphisms. d (N)/d (S) ratios revealed evidence for positive selection. Analysis of breeding pairs showed no disassortative mating preferences. Significant MHC genotype/fitness associations in females suggest, however, that selection for pathogen resistance plays a more important role than mate choice in maintaining diversity at the MHC in the Magellanic penguin. The differential effect of MHC heterozygosity on fitness between the sexes is likely associated with the relative role of hatching and fledging rates as reliable indicators of overall fitness in males and females. PMID:22952272

Fresh submarine basalt glasses from Galapagos Ridge, FAMOUS area, Cayman Trough and Kilauea east rift contain 22 to 160 ppm carbon and 0.3 to 2.8 ppm nitrogen, respectively, as the sums of dissolved species and vesicle-filling gases (CO2 and N2). The large range of variation in carbon content is due to combined effect of depth-dependency of the solubility of carbon in basalt melt and varying extents of vapour loss during magma emplacement as well as in sample crushing. The isotopic ratios of indigenous carbon and nitrogen are in very narrow ranges,-6.2 ?? 0.2% relative to PDB and +0.2 ?? 0.6 %. relative to atmospheric nitrogen, respectively. In basalt samples from Juan de Fuca Ridge, however, isotopically light carbon (??13C = around -24%.) predominates over the indigenous carbon; no indigenous heavy carbon was found. Except for Galapagos Ridge samples, these ocean-floor basalts contain 670 to 1100 ppm sulfur, averaging 810 ppm, in the form of both sulfide and sulfate, whereas basalts from Galapagos Ridge are higher in both sulfur (1490 and 1570 ppm) and iron (11.08% total iron as FeO). The ??34S values average +0.3 ?? 0.5%. with average fractionation factor between sulfate and sulfide of +7.4 ?? 1.6%.. The sulfate/sulfide ratios tend to increase with increasing water content of basalt, probably because the oxygen fugacity increases with increasing water content in basalt melt. ?? 1984.

Mercury is a pervasive environmental contaminant, the anthropogenic portion of which is increasing globally, and in northeastern North America in particular. Seabirds frequently are used as indicators of the marine environment, including mercury contamination. We analysed paired samples for total mercury (Hg) concentrations in feathers and blood from adult and chick, albumen, and lipid-free yolk of seven seabirds breeding on Machias Seal Island, New Brunswick, Canada - Arctic Tern (Sterna paradisaea), Atlantic Puffin (Fratercula arctica), Common Eider (Somateria mollissima), Common Murre (Uria aalge), Common Tern (Sterna hirundo), Leach's Storm-petrel (Oceanodroma leucorhoa), and Razorbill (Alca torda). We also used stable-isotope ratios of carbon (delta(13)C), and nitrogen (delta(15)N) to evaluate the relationship between carbon source and trophic position and mercury. We found high Hg concentrations across tissue types in Leach's Storm-petrels, and Razorbills, with lower concentrations in other species, the lowest being in Common Eiders. Storm-petrels prey on mesopelagic fish that accumulate mercury, and Razorbills feed on larger, older fish that bioaccumulate heavy metals. Biomagnification of Hg, or the increase in Hg concentration with trophic position as measured by delta(15)N, was significant and greater in albumen than other tissues, whereas in other tissues, delta(15)N explained little of the overall variation in Hg concentration. Hg concentrations in egg components are higher on Machias Seal Island than other sites globally and in the Gulf of Maine region, but only for some species. Further detailed investigations are required to determine the cause of this trend. PMID:19419752

The Portuguese island of Selvagem Grande (Great Salvage) in Macaronesia is an important seabird breeding station in the eastern Atlantic. Significant populations of Cory's shearwater Calonectris diomedea (Scopoli, 1769), Bulwer's petrel Bulweria bulweria (Jardine & Selby, 1828) and little shearwater Puffinus assimilis baroli (Bonaparte, 1857) are present, and white-faced storm-petrel Pelagodroma marina (Latham, 1790) and Madeiran storm-petrel Oceanodroma castro (Harcourt, 1851) populations are of global significance. Selvagem Grande also provides diverse habitats for an extensive flora, including 11 endemic species. The 270-ha island was also inhabited by two alien invasive mammals: the European rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus (Linnaeus, 1758) and the house mouse Mus musculus (Linnaeus, 1758). Both are known to have had adverse impacts on breeding seabirds and island vegetation. In 2002, the Natural Park of Madeira conducted a program using brodifacoum bait formulations aimed at rabbit and mouse eradication. Approximately 17 000 individual baiting points were established on a 12.5 × 12.5 m grid. Baits were also applied by hand "seeding" on steep slopes and cliffs where bait stations could not be placed. Rabbits were removed after a month. However, mice persisted for considerably longer and strategic bait applications against them continued for a further six months. Subsequent assessments by trapping, bait takes and systematic observation of signs over three years, has confirmed the removal of both alien invasive species. This paper presents information on these operations, on measures adopted to mitigate adverse impacts of the eradication program on important vertebrate non-target species, including Berthelot's pipit Anthus berthelotii Bolle, 1862 and a species of gecko Tarentola bischoffi Joger, 1984 and on the initial response of the island's ecosystem to the eradication of rabbits and mice. PMID:21392324

This study reports baseline concentrations of mercury (Hg) in feathers from different species of birds sampled at various locations off the Chilean coast (Southeastern Pacific). Hg concentrations were evaluated in relation to geographic location, taxonomic affiliation, and feeding strategies. Between January and March of 1995, we collected mature contour feathers from 116 birds belonging to 22 species, mostly seabirds. Birds were collected from 10 different locations (26??09???S, 70??40???W to 54??56???S, 67??37???W). Feather Hg concentrations ranged from 0.11 to 13 ??gg-1 dry weight. We found differences in feather Hg concentrations across taxonomic groups, with highest concentrations in petrels, shearwaters, and albatrosses (Procellaridae), followed by boobies (Sulidae), gulls, terns, skuas (Laridae) and cormorants (Phalacrocoracidae). Ibises and oystercatchers (Threskiornithidae and Charadriidae) had intermediate values, whereas ducks and geese (Anatidae) contained the least amount of Hg. Oceanic species preying on mesopelagic fish (the Procellariformes albatrosses, petrels, and fulmars) had over twice as much Hg (overall average of 3.9 ??gg-1) when compared to the rest of the species sampled (overall average of 1.5 ??gg-1). We did not find higher Hg concentrations in birds inhabiting the more heavily industrialized and urbanized areas of the country (central and northern regions), but in birds inhabiting the remote Juan Ferna??ndez Archipelago. This is not surprising, since all the Procellariformes (the group with highest Hg values in this study) were collected from these islands. Except for Hg in Kermadec petrels (mean of 12 ??gg-1), the range of Hg values reported here (0.11-7.3 ??gg-1) fell below those known to cause adverse health and reproductive effects in birds. ?? 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

This study reports baseline concentrations of mercury (Hg) in feathers from different species of birds sampled at various locations off the Chilean coast (Southeastern Pacific). Hg concentrations were evaluated in relation to geographic location, taxonomic affiliation, and feeding strategies. Between January and March of 1995, we collected mature contour feathers from 116 birds belonging to 22 species, mostly seabirds. Birds were collected from 10 different locations (26?09'S, 70?40'W to 54?56'S, 67?37'W). Feather Hg concentrations ranged from 0.11 to 13 ?g g-1 dry weight. We found differences in feather Hg concentrations across taxonomic groups, with highest concentrations in petrels, shearwaters, and albatrosses (Procellaridae), followed by boobies (Sulidae), gulls, terns, skuas (Laridae) and cormorants (Phalacrocoracidae). Ibises and oystercatchers (Threskiornithidae and Charadriidae) had intermediate values, whereas ducks and geese (Anatidae) contained the least amount of Hg. Oceanic species preying on mesopelagic fish (the Procellariformes albatrosses, petrels, and fulmars) had over twice as much Hg (overall average of 3.9 ?g g-1) when compared to the rest of the species sampled (overall average of 1.5 ?g g-1). We did not find higher Hg concentrations in birds inhabiting the more heavily industrialized and urbanized areas of the country (central and northern regions), but in birds inhabiting the remote Juan Fernandez Archipelago. This is not surprising, since all the Procellariformes (the group with highest Hg values in this study) were collected from these islands. Except for Hg in Kermadec petrels (mean of 12 ?g g-1), the range of Hg values reported here (0.11-7.3 ?g g-1) fell below those known to cause adverse health and reproductive effects in birds.

Four Petrel rockets were flown from South Uist on October 2, 1979, to investigate the ozone concentration variation predicted by photochemical models between day and night in the mesosphere by means of interference filters that defined an approximately 10 nm bandwidth. The first two rockets contained photometers with wavebands centered at 265 and 290 nm, while the last two employed a single waveband at 265 nm. Results show significant diurnal variation above 54 km, which exceeds a factor of 2 above 65 km and reaches a factor of 10 between night and sunrise at 90 km.

The attitude of Petrel sounding rockets was determined from on-board magnetometer information and p band telemetry signal strength data from a polarized ground station antenna. Sky background information from the photometric payloads was compared to backgrounds reconstructed from satellite maps to assess the accuracy of the method. The result is consistant with other information available (sky background modulation) within the experimental constraints such as magnetometer calibration and light tables, and does not require extra hardware on the rocket. Accuracy can be improved by machine computation of the phase angles and a closer analysis of the whole flight especially around turnover on reentry.

A management 'tool' for predicting Weather Operating Windows for offshore drilling operations has been developed and tested for the dynamic positioning drillship PETREL. It is shown that two measures are required in making such an assessment: the persistence of vessel heave response as it affects drilling operations and the probable downtimes with respect to each drilling operation throughout the year for the geographical location of interest. The study includes a detailed meteorological/oceanographic investigation of the physical environmental conditions for some Canadian east coast marine areas.

A comprehensive group of experiments, assembled and flown on a series of Petrel rockets in March 1982 for the primary purpose of investigating the extent to which energy transfer is important in the excitation of the oxgen nightglow, is briefly described. Aspects of the data reduction methods are summarised and the bulk of the processed data is presented in profile and tabular form as a base for modelling and analyses in papers to follow and in evidence of the quality and success of this memorable international collaborative campaign.

A Petrel rocket was launched from Kiruna on 25 January 1979 to compare electron intensities measured at auroral altitudes with related parameters measured at geostationary altitude by the satellite GEOS 2. A sequence of quasi-periodic oscillations in electron intensities were investigated, which appear to originate in the equatorial region, probably in the neighborhood of GEOS 2 was investigated. A similar frequency oscillation in the intensity of 500-Hz VLF emissions was observed at about the same time by the S300 wave experiment located on the satellite.

Situated in the Timor Sea and Joseph Bonaparte Gulf regions, the Bonaparte basin is one of the Phanerozoic basins of what is now called the North West Shelf of Australia. This basin consists of a number of Paleozoic and Mesozoic synclines and horsts. Drilling success rate for this basin is one of the highest in Australia in the last 5 years. New opportunities are available in the southeastern Bonaparte basin, where seven vacant tracts have just been released for application for exploration permits. The paper discusses the regional geology, previous exploration activities, and potentials of the southern Petrel sub-basin and Darwin shelf.

The species composition, distribution, and abundance of marine birds on continental shelf waters from Cape Hatteras to the Bay of Fundy were examined using ships-of-opportunity. Northern Fulmar, Cory's Shearwater, Greater Shearwater, Sooty Shearwater, Wilson's Storm-Petrel, Gannet, Red Phalarope, Great Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, and Black-legged Kittiwake were the most abundant and common species. These species were ecologically dominant within the bird community in numbers and biomass. Georges Bank and Gulf of Marine regions generally had greatest estimates of standing stock and biomass; whereas, in the Middle Atlantic region these estimates were consistently lowest. Species diversity throughout the study area was greatest in spring and least in fall. Oceanic fronts at the continental shelf break and at Nantucket Shoals influenced the distribution of Wilson's Storm-Petrels and Red Phalaropes. Fishing activities were particularly important to Larus gull distribution. Fishes, squids, and crustaceans were the most important groups of prey items in diets of nine bird species. An oiled bird or pollution index was developed. According to the index, frequency of oiled birds was greatest in winter and spring, and gulls made up the majority of species with oiled plumages.

Olfactory cues have been shown to be important to homing petrels at night, but apparently those procellariiform species that also come back to the colony during the day are not impaired by smell deprivation. However, the nycthemeral distribution of homing, i.e. whether displaced birds released at night return to their burrow by night or during daylight, has never been investigated. To explore this question, we studied the homing behaviour of Cory's shearwater (Calonectris borealis) in the only known population where these birds are active at the colony both during the day and at night. Here, we compared the nocturnal versus diurnal homing schedule of birds treated with zinc sulphate (to induce a reversible but complete anosmia) with that of controls. Our results show that anosmic shearwaters were unable to home in the dark and were constrained to wait for the daylight to find their burrow again. Our results confirm that olfaction is the basic sensory input for homing by night even in a petrel species that is diurnally active at the colony. PMID:23307801

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) such as perfluoroalkyl carboxylates (PFCAs) and perfluoroalkyl sulfonates (PFSAs) have become virtually ubiquitous throughout the environment, and, based on laboratory studies, have known toxicological consequences. Various national and international voluntary phase-outs and restrictions on these compounds have been implemented over the last 10 to 15 years. In the present study, we examine trends (1990/1991-2010/2011) in aquatic birds (ancient murrelet, Synthliboramphus antiquus [2009 only]; Leach's storm-petrels, Oceanodroma leucorhoa; rhinoceros auklets, Cerorhinca monocerata; double-crested cormorants, Phalacrocorax auritus; and great blue herons, Ardea herodias). The PFCA, PFSA, and stable isotope (δ(15) N and δ(13) C) data collected from these species from the Pacific coast of Canada, ranging over 20 to 30 years, were used to investigate temporal changes in PFAS coupled to dietary changes. Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), the dominant PFSA compound in all 4 species, increased and subsequently decreased in auklet and cormorant eggs in line with the manufacturing phase-out of PFOS and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), but concentrations continuously increased in petrel eggs and remained largely unchanged in heron eggs. Dominant PFCA compounds varied between the offshore and coastal species, with increases seen in the offshore species and little or variable changes seen in the coastal species. Little temporal change was seen in stable isotope values, indicating that diet alone is not driving observed PFAS concentrations. PMID:25989421

Trophic ecology and geographic location are crucial factors explaining OC levels in marine vertebrates, but these factors are often difficult to disentangle. To examine their relative influence, we analyzed PCBs, DDTs and stable-nitrogen isotope signatures (δ15N) in the blood of 10 pelagic seabird species across 7 breeding localities from the northeast Atlantic and western Mediterranean. Large scale geographic patterns emerged due to the confined character and greater historical OC inputs in the Mediterranean compared to the Atlantic basin. Spatial patterns also emerged at the regional scale within the Atlantic basin, probably associated with long-range pollutant transport. Trophic ecology, however, was also a major factor explaining OC levels. We found clear and consistent OC differences among species regardless of the sampled locality. However, species δ15N and blood OC levels were not correlated within most breeding localities. Petrel species showed significantly greater OC burdens than most shearwater species but similar trophic positions, as indicated by their similar δ15N signatures. This pattern probably results from Petrel species feeding on mesopelagic fish and squid that migrate close to the sea surface at night, whereas shearwater species mainly feed on epipelagic diurnal prey. In sum, this study illustrates the lasting and unequal influence of past human activities such as PCB and DDT usage across different marine regions. In addition, our results suggest that multi-species designs are powerful tools to monitor geographic patterns of OCs and potentially useful to assess their vertical dynamics in the marine environment. PMID:21906778

From existing databases, we compiled and evaluated 604 total mercury (Hg) levels in the eggs and blood of 17 species of marine foraging birds from 35 Gulf of Maine islands to provide baseline data and to determine the best tissue, age class, and species for future biomonitoring. While mean Hg levels in most species did not exceed adverse effects thresholds, levels in some individual eggs did; for all species arithmetic mean egg Hg levels ranged from 0.04 to 0.62 (microg/g, wet weight). Piscivorous birds had higher Hg levels than invertivores. Leach's storm-petrel (Oceanodroma leucorhoa), razorbill (Alca torda), and black guillemot (Cepphus grylle) adult blood and egg Hg levels were higher than other species. Our results indicate that adult blood is preferable to chick blood for detecting long-term temporal trends because adult levels are higher and not confounded by metabolic effects. However, since we found that eggs and adult blood are comparable indicators of methylmercury bioavailability, we determined that eggs are the preferred tissue for long-term Hg monitoring because the relative ease in collecting eggs ensures consistent and robust datasets. We suggest specific sampling methods, and based on our results demonstrate that common eider (Somateria mollissima), Leach's storm-petrel, double-crested cormorant, and black guillemot are the most effective bioindicators of Hg of the Gulf of Maine. PMID:19277786

While the number of studies providing evidence of actuarial senescence is increasing, and covers a wide range of taxa, the process of reproductive senescence remains poorly understood. In fact, quite high reproductive output until the last years of life has been reported in several vertebrate species, so that whether or not reproductive senescence is widespread remains unknown. We compared age-specific changes of reproductive parameters between two closely related species of long-lived seabirds: the small-sized snow petrel Pagodroma nivea, and the medium-sized southern fulmar Fulmarus glacialoides. Both are sympatric in Antarctica. We used an exceptional dataset collected over more than 40 years to assess age-specific variations of both breeding probability and breeding success. We found contrasted age-specific reproductive patterns between the two species. Reproductive senescence clearly occurred from 21 years of age onwards in the southern fulmar, in both breeding probability and success, whereas we did not report any decline in the breeding success of the snow petrel, although a very late decrease in the proportion of breeders occurred at 34 years. Such a contrasted age-specific reproductive pattern was rather unexpected. Differences in life history including size or migratory behaviour are the most likely candidates to account for the difference we reported in reproductive senescence between these sympatric seabird species. PMID:18832060

Breeding Spheniscus penguins are central place foragers that feed primarily on schooling pelagic fish. They are visual hunters, but it is unclear how they locate prey patches on a coarse scale. Many petrels and storm petrels (Procellariiformes), the penguins' closest relatives, use olfactory cues to locate prey concentrations at sea, but this has not been demonstrated for penguins. Procellariiforms are attracted to a variety of olfactory cues, including dimethyl sulphide (DMS), an organosulphur compound released when phytoplankton is grazed, as well as fish odorants such as cod liver oil. A recent study found that African penguins Spheniscus demersus react to DMS on land. We confirm this result and show that African penguins are also attracted by DMS at sea. DMS-scented oil slicks attracted 2-3 times more penguins than control slicks, whereas penguins showed no response to slicks containing cod liver oil. The number of penguins attracted to DMS increased for at least 30 min, suggesting penguins could travel up to 2 km to reach scent cues. Repeats of land-based trials confirmed previous results showing DMS sensitivity of penguins on land. Our results also support the hypothesis that African penguins use DMS as an olfactory cue to locate prey patches at sea from a distance, which is particularly important given their slow commuting speed relative to that of flying seabirds. PMID:21753043

Background During the non-breeding period, many birds migrate to milder areas, found closer to the equator than their breeding sites. Opposite movements are very rare. In the Southern Ocean, the abundance of 13C declines markedly with more southern latitude, providing a characteristic 13C isoscape. This can be used as a tracer for the movement of seabirds between breeding and inter-breeding areas, by comparing stable isotope ratios of feathers grown at different times of the year. Results We studied seasonal movements of Thin-billed prions (Aves, Procellariiformes), breeding at the Subantarctic Falkland/Malvinas Islands, compared with those of Wilson's storm-petrels breeding in the Antarctic South Shetland Islands. The two species showed opposite migratory movements. While Wilson's storm-petrels moved to warmer waters north of the Drake Passage in winter, Thin-billed prions showed a reversed movement towards more polar waters. Carbon stable isotope ratios in recent and historical feathers indicated that poleward winter movements of Thin-billed prions were less common historically (45% in 1913-1915), and have only recently become dominant (92% in 2003-2005), apparently in response to warming sea temperatures. Conclusions This study shows that pelagic seabirds can rapidly change migration strategies within populations, including migration towards more poleward waters in winter. PMID:20482826

Predator–prey communities are ubiquitous in ecology, but introduced predators can drive native species to extinction within island systems, prompting the eradication of such exotics. Ecological theory predicts that elimination of top-introduced predators from islands can lead to the counterintuitive decline of native prey populations through the ecological release of smaller introduced species in a process termed “mesopredator release.” We show, in accordance with mesopredator release theory and counter to conservation goals for a New Zealand island reserve, that initial eradication of cats on Little Barrier Island led to reduced breeding success of Cook's petrels, which also are vulnerable to predation by a mesopredator, the Pacific rat. The rat's impact on prey productivity varied with elevation within the island. Rat eradication was followed by a rise in petrel productivity, in support of both ecological theory and practical conservation management goals. It appears that interactions among introduced predators, native prey, and environmental gradients can drive counterintuitive and spatially heterogeneous responses to predator eradications from islands. Location-specific, ecosystem-level understanding is essential for predicting the outcomes of such restoration management techniques. PMID:18083843

This fourth supplement after the 6th edition (1983) of the AOU "Check-list of North American Birds" consists of changes adopted by the Committee on Classification and Nomenclature between 1 March 1989 and 1 March 1991. The changes fall into eight categories: (1) five species (Ixobrychus sinensis, Porphyrula flavirostris, Sterna bergii, Streptopelia orientalis, and Ficedula narcissina) are added to the main list because of new distributional information; (2) six species (Pterodroma cervicalis, Ortalis wagleri, Lophornis brachylopha, Corvus sinaloae, Cinclocerthia gutturalis, and Loxops caeruleirostris) are added to the list because of the splitting of species previously in the list; (3) one extinct species (Dysmorodrepanis munroi) is added to the list because of re-identification of the unique type; (4) one scientific name (Speotyto cunicularia) is changed because of generic splitting; (5) one scientific name (Phalacrocorax brasilianus) is changed for nomenclature reasons, accompanied by a change in English name; (6) the spelling of one scientific name (Neocrex colombianus) is corrected; (7) to other English names are changed or corrected; and (8) one sequencing change is made. No new distributional information is included except as noted above (i.e. minor changes of distribution of distributional records within North America are not included). The twelve additions bring the number of species recognized as occurring within the Check-list area (main list) to 1957.

Empirical data on the abundance and habitat preferences of coral reef top predators are needed to evaluate their ecological impacts and guide management decisions. We used longline surveys to quantify the shark assemblage at French Frigate Shoals (FFS) atoll from May to August 2009. Fishing effort consisted of 189 longline sets totaling 6,862 hook hours of soak time. A total of 221 sharks from 7 species were captured, among which Galapagos (Carcharhinus galapagensis, 36.2%), gray reef (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos, 25.8%) and tiger (Galeocerdo cuvier, 20.4%) sharks were numerically dominant. A lack of blacktip reef sharks (Carcharhinus melanopterus) distinguished the FFS shark assemblage from those at many other atolls in the Indo-Pacific. Compared to prior underwater visual survey estimates, longline methods more accurately represented species abundance and composition for the majority of shark species. Sharks were significantly less abundant in the shallow lagoon than adjacent habitats. Recaptures of Galapagos sharks provided the first empirical estimate of population size for any Galapagos shark population. The overall recapture rate was 5.4%. Multiple closed population models were evaluated, with Chao Mh ranking best in model performance and yielding a population estimate of 668 sharks with 95% confidence intervals ranging from 289–1720. Low shark abundance in the shallow lagoon habitats suggests removal of a small number of sharks from the immediate vicinity of lagoonal islets may reduce short-term predation on endangered monk seal (Monachus schauinslandi) pups, but considerable fishing effort would be required to catch even a small number of sharks. Additional data on long-term movements and habitat use of sharks at FFS are required to better assess the likely ecological impacts of shark culling. PMID:21347321

Ozone vertical profile measurements obtained from ozonesondes flown at Fiji, Samoa, Tahiti and the Galapagos are used to characterize ozone in the troposphere over the tropical Pacific. There is a significant seasonal variation at each of these sites. At sites in both the eastern and western Pacific, ozone is highest at almost all levels in the troposphere during the September-November season and lowest during, March-May. There is a relative maximum at all of the sites in the mid-troposphere during all seasons of the year (the largest amounts are usually found near the tropopause). This maximum is particularly pronounced during, the September-November season. On average, throughout the troposphere at all seasons, the Galapagos has larger ozone amounts than the western Pacific sites. A trajectory climatology is used to identify the major flow regimes that are associated with the characteristic ozone behavior at various altitudes and seasons. The enhanced ozone seen in the mid-troposphere during September-November is associated with flow from the continents. In the western Pacific this flow is usually from southern Africa (although 10-day trajectories do not always reach the continent), but also may come from Australia and Indonesia. In the Galapagos the ozone peak in the mid-troposphere is seen in flow from the South American continent and particularly from northern Brazil. The time of year and flow characteristics associated with the ozone mixing ratio peaks seen in both the western and eastern Pacific suggest that these enhanced ozone values result from biomass burning. In the upper troposphere low ozone amounts are seen with flow that originates in the convective western Pacific.

Empirical data on the abundance and habitat preferences of coral reef top predators are needed to evaluate their ecological impacts and guide management decisions. We used longline surveys to quantify the shark assemblage at French Frigate Shoals (FFS) atoll from May to August 2009. Fishing effort consisted of 189 longline sets totaling 6,862 hook hours of soak time. A total of 221 sharks from 7 species were captured, among which Galapagos (Carcharhinus galapagensis, 36.2%), gray reef (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos, 25.8%) and tiger (Galeocerdo cuvier, 20.4%) sharks were numerically dominant. A lack of blacktip reef sharks (Carcharhinus melanopterus) distinguished the FFS shark assemblage from those at many other atolls in the Indo-Pacific. Compared to prior underwater visual survey estimates, longline methods more accurately represented species abundance and composition for the majority of shark species. Sharks were significantly less abundant in the shallow lagoon than adjacent habitats. Recaptures of Galapagos sharks provided the first empirical estimate of population size for any Galapagos shark population. The overall recapture rate was 5.4%. Multiple closed population models were evaluated, with Chao M(h) ranking best in model performance and yielding a population estimate of 668 sharks with 95% confidence intervals ranging from 289-1720. Low shark abundance in the shallow lagoon habitats suggests removal of a small number of sharks from the immediate vicinity of lagoonal islets may reduce short-term predation on endangered monk seal (Monachus schauinslandi) pups, but considerable fishing effort would be required to catch even a small number of sharks. Additional data on long-term movements and habitat use of sharks at FFS are required to better assess the likely ecological impacts of shark culling. PMID:21347321

There is increasing evidence for the existence of unique ecosystems that are dominated by locally adapted microbiota which harbour distinct lineages and biological capabilities, much like the macrobiota of Darwin's Galapagos Islands. As a primary example of such a system, we highlight key discoveries from the Cuatro Ciénegas basin in Mexico. We argue that high microbial endemism requires a combination of geographical isolation, long-term continuity and mechanisms for reducing the intensity of horizontal gene transfer (HGT). We also propose that strong phosphorus limitation has an important role in microbial diversification by reducing the intensity of HGT. PMID:18521074

Photonics product statistics in Japan provided by OITDA is shown and analyzed from the aspect of three basic issues those the Japanese R & D state is facing. They are (1) off-shoring due to the deep integration in east Asia, (2) industry-academia collaboration and (3) global warming issue. The challengeable photonics R&D will come by aiming the volume zone market to get rid of the Galapagos problem and by opening innovation through the international collaboration. The connecting of the photonics products to the broadband systems are prospective to lead the "Green Digital Economy.

The study of birds, especially the Galapagos finches, was important to Darwin in the development of the theory of evolution by natural selection. Birds have also been at the centre of a recent reformulation in understanding cerebral evolution and the substrates for higher cognition. While it was once thought that birds possess a simple cerebrum and were thus limited to instinctive behaviours, it is now clear that birds possess a well-developed cerebrum that looks very different from the mammalian cerebrum but can support a cognitive ability that for some avian species rivals that in primates. PMID:18854290

Twenty two licenses for Petrel Software acquired through a grant from Schlumberger are being used to redesign the laboratory portion of Subsurface Geology at Louisiana State University. The course redesign is a cooperative effort between LSU's Geology and Geophysics and Petroleum Engineering Departments and Schlumberger's Technical Training Division. In spring 2008, two laboratory sections were taught with 22 students in each section. The class contained geology majors, petroleum engineering majors, and geology graduate students. Limited enrollments and 3 hour labs make it possible to incorporate hands-on visualization, animation, manipulation of data and images, and access to geological data available online. 24/7 access to the laboratory and step by step instructions for Petrel exercises strongly promoted peer instruction and individual learning. Goals of the course redesign include: enhancing visualization of earth materials; strengthening student's ability to acquire, manage, and interpret multifaceted geological information; fostering critical thinking, the scientific method; improving student communication skills; providing cross training between geologists and engineers and increasing the quantity, quality, and diversity of students pursuing Earth Science and Petroleum Engineering careers. IT resources available in the laboratory provide students with sophisticated visualization tools, allowing them to switch between 2-D and 3-D reconstructions more seamlessly, and enabling them to manipulate larger integrated data-sets, thus permitting more time for critical thinking and hypothesis testing. IT resources also enable faculty and students to simultaneously work with the software to visually interrogate a 3D data set and immediately test hypothesis formulated in class. Preliminary evaluation of class results indicate that students found MS-Windows based Petrel easy to learn. By the end of the semester, students were able to not only map horizons and faults

Current knowledge and theories of large scale Andean tectonics as they relate to site planning for the NASA Crustal Dynamics Program's proposed high precision geodetic measurements of relative motions between the Nazca and South American plates are summarized. The Nazca Plate and its eastern margin, the Peru-Chile Trench, is considered a prototype plate marked by rapid motion, strong seismicity and well defined boundaries. Tectonic activity across the Andes results from the Nazca Plate subducting under the South American plate in a series of discrete platelets with different widths and dip angles. This in turn, is reflected in the tectonic complexity of the Andes which are a multitutde of orogenic belts superimposed on each other since the Precambrian. Sites for Crustal Dynamics Program measurements are being located to investigate both interplate and extraplate motions. Observing operations have already been initiated at Arequipa, Peru and Easter Island, Santiago and Cerro Tololo, Chile. Sites under consideration include Iquique, Chile; Oruro and Santa Cruz, Bolivia; Cuzco, Lima, Huancayo and Bayovar, Peru; and Quito and the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. Based on scientific considerations, Santa Cruz, Huancayo (or Lima), Quito and the Galapagos Islands should be replaced by Isla San Felix, Chile; Brazilia or Petrolina, Brazil; and Guayaquil, Ecuador. If resources permit, additional important sites would be Buenaventura and Villavicencio or Puerto La Concordia, Colombia; and Mendoza and Cordoba, Argentina.

Theory predicts a positive relationship between parasite infection intensity and host density. However, this generalization is complicated in natural systems by differences in life history among parasite taxa, e.g., transmissibility. Accordingly, predictions relating host density to parasite load should be specific to each parasite taxon. To illustrate this, we studied parasites that differed greatly in life history in the context of the Galapagos hawk's (Buteo galapagoensis) variably cooperative mating system. Two louse (Phthiraptera) species were collected: Colpocephalum turbinatum (Amblycera), with 53 host species, and Degeeriella regalis (Ischnocera), with 10 host species, although B. galapagoensis was the only known Galapagos host. Sixty territorial adult male hawks from 26 groups of 1-6 males were quantitatively sampled for lice. Average abundance and intensity of C. turbinatum but not D. regalis were significantly larger in large groups of hawks than small groups. Males from the same polyandrous group harbored significantly correlated abundances of C. turbinatum but not D. regalis. Prevalence, average abundance, and intensity of C. turbinatum were significantly higher than D. regalis. These are the first results to demonstrate significant differences in a suite of population responses between these louse suborders in the context of host sociality. PMID:15562590

Current knowledge and theories of large scale Andean tectonics as they relate to site planning for the NASA Crustal Dynamics Program's proposed high precision geodetic measurements of relative motions between the Nazca and South American plates are summarized. The Nazca Plate and its eastern margin, the Peru-Chile Trench, is considered a prototype plate marked by rapid motion, strong seismicity and well defined boundaries. Tectonic activity across the Andes results from the Nazca Plate subducting under the South American plate in a series of discrete platelets with different widths and dip angles. This in turn, is reflected in the tectonic complexity of the Andes which are a multitutde of orogenic belts superimposed on each other since the Precambrian. Sites for Crustal Dynamics Program measurements are being located to investigate both interplate and extraplate motions. Observing operations have already been initiated at Arequipa, Peru and Easter Island, Santiago and Cerro Tololo, Chile. Sites under consideration include Iquique, Chile; Oruro and Santa Cruz, Bolivia; Cuzco, Lima, Huancayo and Bayovar, Peru; and Quito and the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. Based on scientific considerations, Santa Cruz, Huancayo (or Lima), Quito and the Galapagos Islands should be replaced by Isla San Felix, Chile; Brazilia or Petrolina, Brazil; and Guayaquil, Ecuador. If resources permit, additional important sites would be Buenaventura and Villavicencio or Puerto La Concordia, Colombia; and Mendoza and Cordoba, Argentina.

Geological mapping and geochronological studies have shown much lower eruption rates for ocean island basalts (OIBs) in comparison with those of lavas from large igneous provinces (LIPs) such as oceanic plateaux and continental flood provinces. However, a quantitative petrological comparison has never been made between mantle source temperature and the extent of melting for OIB and LIP sources. Here we show that the MgO and FeO contents of Galapagos-related lavas and their primary magmas have decreased since the Cretaceous period. From petrological modelling, we infer that these changes reflect a cooling of the Galapagos mantle plume from a potential temperature of 1,560-1,620 degrees C in the Cretaceous to 1,500 degrees C at present. Iceland also exhibits secular cooling, in agreement with previous studies. Our work provides quantitative petrological evidence that, in general, mantle plumes for LIPs with Palaeocene-Permian ages were hotter and melted more extensively than plumes of more modern ocean islands. We interpret this to reflect episodic flow from lower-mantle domains that are lithologically and geochemically heterogeneous. PMID:19340079

Secular variations in the Pb isotopic composition of a mixed hydrogenous-hydrothermal ferromanganese crust from the Bauer Basin in the eastern Equatorial Pacific provide clear evidence for changes in hydrothermal contributions during the past 7 Myr. The nearby Galapagos Rise spreading center provided a strong hydrothermal flux prior to 6.5 Ma. After 6.5 Ma, the Pb became stepwise more radiogenic and more similar to Equatorial Pacific seawater, reflecting the westward shift of spreading to the presently active East Pacific Rise (EPR). A second, previously unrecognized enhanced hydrothermal period occurred between 4.4 and 2.9 Ma, which reflects either off-axis hydrothermal activity in the Bauer Basin or a late-stage pulse of hydrothermal Pb from the then active, but waning Galapagos Rise spreading center. Hafnium isotope time-series of the same mixed hydrogenous-hydrothermal crust show invariant values over the past 7 Myr. Hafnium isotope ratios, as well as Nd isotope ratios obtained for this crust, are identical to that of hydrogenous Equatorial Pacific deep water crusts and clearly indicate that hydrothermal Hf, similar to Nd, does not travel far from submarine vents. Therefore, we suggest that hydrothermal Hf fluxes do not contribute significantly to the global marine Hf budget. ?? 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The authors report Pb isotope ratios of sulfides deposited at seven recently active mid-ocean ridge (MOR) hydrothermal vents. Sulfides from three sediment-starved sites on the Juan de Fuca Ridge contain Pb with isotope ratios identical to their local basaltic sources. Lead in two deposits from the sediment-covered Escanaba Trough, Gorda Ridge, is derived from the sediments and does not appear to contain any basaltic component. There is a range of isotope ratios in a Guaymas Basin deposit, consistent with a mixture of sediment and MOR basalt Pb. Lead in a Galapagos deposit differs slightly from known Galapagos basalt Pb isotope values. The faithful record of Pb isotope signatures of local sources in MOR sulfides indicates that isotope ratios from ancient analogues ca be used as accurate reflections of ancient oceanic crustal values in ophiolite-hosted deposits and continental crustal averages in sediment-hosted deposits. The preservation of primary ophiolitic or continental crustal Pb isotope signatures in ancient MOR sulfides provides a powerful tool for investigation of crustal evolution and for fingerprinting ancient terranes.

This paper provides an evaluation of two of the most likely pitfalls of Sr/Ca thermometry, i.e., the effect of biogenic cycling of Sr vs. Ca in the surface ocean and the effect of variable extension rate on Sr incorporation in coralline aragonite. The authors also report calibration of the Sr/Ca-temperature relationship for three coral species, Porites lobata, Pocillopora eydouxi, and Pavona clavus, collected for the Hawaiian and Galapagos islands. Analyses of seawater samples show significant spatial and depth variability in the Sr:Ca ratio. The uncertainty introduced by this effect is estimated to be <0.2[degrees]C for corals located in tropical oligotrophic waters, and potentially larger for corals located in upwelling areas. Sr/Ca along two different growth axes of a Galapagos Pavona clavus, with annual extension rates of [approximately]6 and 12 mm/y, respectively, indicate an offset of 1-2[degrees]C, with higher Sr/Ca values associated with slower extension rates. The offset observed between the two growth axes may be the result of variations in extension and/or calcification rate. These results are important in determining past sea surface temperatures for reconstruction of paleoclimates.

Foraging differentiation within a species can contribute to restricted gene flow between ecologically different groups, promoting ecological speciation. Galapagos sea lions (Zalophus wollebaeki) show genetic and morphological divergence between the western and central archipelago, possibly as a result of an ecologically mediated contrast in the marine habitat. We use global positioning system (GPS) data, time-depth recordings (TDR), stable isotope and scat data to compare foraging habitat characteristics, diving behaviour and diet composition of Galapagos sea lions from a western and a central colony. We consider both juvenile and adult life stages to assess the potential role of ontogenetic shifts that can be crucial in shaping foraging behaviour and habitat choice for life. We found differences in foraging habitat use, foraging style and diet composition that aligned with genetic differentiation. These differences were consistent between juvenile and adult sea lions from the same colony, overriding age-specific behavioural differences. Our study contributes to an understanding of the complex interaction of ecological condition, plastic behavioural response and genetic make-up of interconnected populations. PMID:26307593

Mitochondrial DNA analyses have been useful for resolving maternal lineages and migratory behavior to foraging grounds (FG) in sea turtles. However, little is known about source rookeries and haplotype composition of foraging green turtle aggregations in the southeastern Pacific. We used mitochondrial DNA control region sequences to identify the haplotype composition of 55 green turtles, Chelonia mydas, captured in foraging grounds of Gorgona National Park in the Colombian Pacific. Amplified fragments of the control region (457 bp) revealed the presence of seven haplotypes, with haplotype (h) and nucleotide (π) diversities of h = 0.300±0.080 and π = 0.009±0.005 respectively. The most common haplotype was CMP4 observed in 83% of individuals, followed by CMP22 (5%). The genetic composition of the Gorgona foraging population primarily comprised haplotypes that have been found at eastern Pacific rookeries including Mexico and the Galapagos, as well as haplotypes of unknown stock origin that likely originated from more distant western Pacific rookeries. Mixed stock analysis suggests that the Gorgona FG population is comprised mostly of animals from the Galapagos rookery (80%). Lagrangian drifter data showed that movement of turtles along the eastern Pacific coast and eastward from distant western and central Pacific sites was possible through passive drift. Our results highlight the importance of this protected area for conservation management of green turtles recruited from distant sites along the eastern Pacific Ocean. PMID:22319635

1. The hepatic activity of epoxide hydrolase, aldrin epoxidase, aminopyrine N-demethylase, 7-ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase, benzo(a)pyrene 3-hydroxylase and UDP glucuronyl transferase was determined in adult herring gulls (Larus argentatus) at various stages of the breeding season. 2. MFO activity was measured for adult Leach's storm-petrels (Oceanodroma leucorhoa), guillemot (Uria aalge) and Atlantic puffins (Fratercula arctica). For most assays the values were highest for the puffin. 3. MFO activity in both nestling and adult Atlantic puffins was determined. The degree of induction caused by a single internal dose of Prudhoe Bay crude oil in adult puffins and that caused by multiple internal doses in nestling puffins was measured. PMID:2890477

The Procellariiformes are the birds most affected by plastic pollution. Plastic fragments and pellets were the most frequent items found in the digestive tract of eight species of Procellariiformes incidentally caught by longline fisheries as well as beached birds in Southern Brazil. Plastic objects were found in 62% of the petrels and 12% of the albatrosses. The Great shearwater, Manx shearwater, Cory's shearwater and Antarctic fulmar were found to have greater quantities and frequencies of occurrence of plastic. There was no significant difference in the number of plastics between the birds from longline fisheries and beached birds. No correlation was found between the number of prey and number of plastics in the digestive tract of the birds analyzed, but this does not discard the hypothesis that, in some cases, the presence of plastic in the digestive tract has a negative effect on the feeding efficiency of these birds. PMID:18840384

The use of discarded fish over baited hooks used in longline fishery, and fish caught in gillnets, as a food source for gulls, albatrosses and petrels has been intensively studied in northern and southern oceans. This study describes the occurrence and abundance of seabirds observed from 20 foreign vessels which operated during the period between July 2001 and May 2005, off the southeastern and southern Brazilian coast. A total of 353,557 seabirds were observed; comprising eight families and 28 species. The most abundant species was Procellaria conspicillata followed by Daption capense, Puffinus gravis, Thalassarche melanophrys and Oceanites oceanicus. Ten species of seabirds (392 individual birds) were incidentally captured in gillnets; and 122 birds (9 species) by longline hooks, with P. gravis, D. capense and Procellaria aequinoctialis having the largest capture rates. PMID:25627361

Effective with its 1997 release of offshore acreage, Australia launched a new system of offering two groups of areas with different closing dates. In the group for which bids close in March 1998: the Brose basin, which has supergiant gas reserves and now the major Cornea oil discovery, has the potential for more major discoveries in moderate to deep water between the petroleum kitchens and basin margin fields; elsewhere, shallow water, underexplored parts of the oil productive Bonaparte basin have intriguing oil and gas shows, noncommercial discoveries, and seismic anomalies. Small and large companies, with bids guaranteed by seismic-only to multiwell work programs, were successful in gaining exploration permits from the previous bidding round. The paper describes the bidding areas, the Southern Timar Sea, and the Petrel sub-basin.

PAHs were analyzed in the liver of 5 species of pelagic seabirds (Procellariiformes) from the northeast Atlantic and the Mediterranean. The main objective was to assess the trophic and geographic trends of PAHs in seabirds to evaluate their suitability as bioindicators of chronic marine pollution by these compounds. Although higher levels of PAHs have been described in the Mediterranean compared to other oceanic regions, we did not find significant spatial patterns and observed only minor effects of the geographic origin on seabird PAHs. However, we found significant higher PAH levels in petrel compared to shearwater species, which could be related to differences in their exploitation of mesopelagic and epipelagic resources, respectively, and the vertical dynamic of PAHs in the water column. Overall, although this study enhances the need of multi-species approaches to show a more comprehensive evaluation of marine pollution, seabirds emerged as poor indicators of pelagic chronic PAH levels. PMID:21620541

Photometric measurements from rocket flights which recorded a strong foreign luminance in the altitude region between 90 and 130 km are reported. From one Nike-Orion rocket the luminance appeared on both up-leg and down-leg; from a series of Petrel rockets the luminance was apparent only on the down-leg. The data suggest that the luminance may be distributed mainly in the wake region along the rocket trajectory. The luminance is believed to be due to a local interaction between the rocket and the atmosphere although the precise nature of the interaction is unknown. It was measured at wavelengths ranging from 275 nm to 1.61 microns and may be caused by a combination of reactions.

Plastic ingestion by adult Procellariiformes has been widely recorded, but few studies have evaluated intergenerational transfer. We assessed the prevalence of plastic particles, as well as their basic characteristics, in the gut content of dead Cory's shearwater fledglings stranded by light pollution on Canary Islands. Eighty-three percent of birds were affected, containing on average 8.0 plastic pieces per bird. The average plastic weight per bird was low (2.97±3.97mg) compared with other petrel species. We found no relationships between plastic loads and body condition or body size, but negative effects may be hidden or delayed. We propose to use the fledglings stranded by light pollution to carry out more precise studies to understand the potential hidden costs of plastic ingestion; and to monitor in a long-term the marine debris to develop management actions for the control of pollution at the marine environment. PMID:22784377

The 65th Medical Brigade and Public Health Command District-Korea, in collaboration with the Migratory Bird Research Center, National Park Research Institute, conducted migratory bird tick surveillance at Sogugul and Gaerin Islands (small rocky bird nesting sites), Jeollanam-do (Province), Republic of Korea (ROK), on 30 July and 1 August 2009. Breeding seabirds captured by hands in their nesting burrows were banded, identified to species, and carefully examined for ticks during the nesting season. A total of 9 Ornithodoros sawaii larvae were removed from 4 adult Hydrobates monorhis (Swinhoe's storm petrel). The identification of the larvae of O. sawaii collected from migratory seabirds were molecularly confirmed using mitochondrial 16S rDNA primer sets. PMID:27180585

The concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), pentachlorobenzene (PeCB) and polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDE) were described in benthic and pelagic species collected off Adélie Land, Antarctica. Strong differences were observed among species, with reduced PeCB and HCB levels in benthic species, and elevated PCB levels in the Antarctic yellowbelly rockcod, the Antarctic sea urchin and the snow petrel. Lower-chlorinated congeners were predominant in krill; penta-PCBs in benthic organisms; hexa- and hepta-PCBs in seabirds and cryopelagic fish. This segregation may result from sedimentation process, specific accumulation and excretion, and/or biotransformation processes. The presence of PBDEs in Antarctic coastal organisms may originate from atmospheric transport and partly from a contamination by local sources. Although POP levels in Antarctic marine organisms were substantially lower than in Arctic and temperate organisms, very little is known about their toxic effects on these cold-adapted species, with high degree of endemism. PMID:24237994

Many cold-adapted unicellular plants express ice-active proteins, but at present, only one type of such proteins has been described, and it shows no resemblance to higher plant antifreezes. Here, we describe four isoforms of a second and very active type of extracellular ice-binding protein (IBP) from a unicellular chlamydomonad alga collected from an Antarctic intertidal location. The alga is a euryhaline psychrophile that, based on sequences of the alpha tubulin gene and an IBP gene, appears to be the same as a snow alga collected on Petrel Island, Antarctica. The IBPs, which do not resemble any known antifreezes, have strong recrystallization inhibition activity and have an ability to slow the drainage of brine from sea ice. These properties, by maintaining liquid environments, may increase survival of the cells in freezing environments. The IBPs have a repeating TXT motif, which has previously been implicated in ice binding in insect antifreezes and a ryegrass antifreeze. PMID:27033652

Acoustic surveys of the distribution and abundance of Antarctic krill were conducted by two different vessels in February 2005 in the near-shore waters of Livingston Island, Antarctica. Multiple frequency acoustic backscatter, video observations, and net tow data were used to identify the acoustic scatterers and to estimate the abundance of krill. Hydrographic, meteorologic, and net tow data were used to examine physical forcing functions affecting the spatial distribution of krill. In addition, the behavior and distribution of several krill predators (penguins, petrels, and whales) were also measured during the survey to explore biological factors affecting the krill ecosystem. Both horizontal and vertical patterns of habitat utilization by prey (krill) and these predators were examined. The survey was interrupted midway through by a large storm event that limited ship-based observations for a day, but provided a picture of the ecosystem before and after the disturbance. [Work supported by the NSF Office of Polar Programs and NOAA.

The 65th Medical Brigade and Public Health Command District-Korea, in collaboration with the Migratory Bird Research Center, National Park Research Institute, conducted migratory bird tick surveillance at Sogugul and Gaerin Islands (small rocky bird nesting sites), Jeollanam-do (Province), Republic of Korea (ROK), on 30 July and 1 August 2009. Breeding seabirds captured by hands in their nesting burrows were banded, identified to species, and carefully examined for ticks during the nesting season. A total of 9 Ornithodoros sawaii larvae were removed from 4 adult Hydrobates monorhis (Swinhoe’s storm petrel). The identification of the larvae of O. sawaii collected from migratory seabirds were molecularly confirmed using mitochondrial 16S rDNA primer sets. PMID:27180585

In the present study, we experimentally investigate the aerodynamic capabilities of flying fish. We consider four different flying fish models, which are darkedged-wing flying fishes stuffed in actual gliding posture. Some morphological parameters of flying fish such as lateral dihedral angle of pectoral fins, incidence angles of pectoral and pelvic fins are considered to examine their effect on the aerodynamic performance. We directly measure the aerodynamic properties (lift, drag, and pitching moment) for different morphological parameters of flying fish models. For the present flying fish models, the maximum lift coefficient and lift-to-drag ratio are similar to those of medium-sized birds such as the vulture, nighthawk and petrel. The pectoral fins are found to enhance the lift-to-drag ratio and the longitudinal static stability of gliding flight. On the other hand, the lift coefficient and lift-to-drag ratio decrease with increasing lateral dihedral angle of pectoral fins.

The Southern Ocean ecosystem is undergoing rapid physical and biological changes that are likely to have profound implications for higher-order predators. Here, we compare the long-term, historical responses of Southern Ocean predators to climate change. We examine palaeoecological evidence for changes in the abundance and distribution of seabirds and marine mammals, and place these into context with palaeoclimate records in order to identify key environmental drivers associated with population changes. Our synthesis revealed two key factors underlying Southern Ocean predator population changes; (i) the availability of ice-free ground for breeding and (ii) access to productive foraging grounds. The processes of glaciation and sea ice fluctuation were key; the distributions and abundances of elephant seals, snow petrels, gentoo, chinstrap and Adélie penguins all responded strongly to the emergence of new breeding habitat coincident with deglaciation and reductions in sea ice. Access to productive foraging grounds was another limiting factor, with snow petrels, king and emperor penguins all affected by reduced prey availability in the past. Several species were isolated in glacial refugia and there is evidence that refuge populations were supported by polynyas. While the underlying drivers of population change were similar across most Southern Ocean predators, the individual responses of species to environmental change varied because of species specific factors such as dispersal ability and environmental sensitivity. Such interspecific differences are likely to affect the future climate change responses of Southern Ocean marine predators and should be considered in conservation plans. Comparative palaeoecological studies are a valuable source of long-term data on species' responses to environmental change that can provide important insights into future climate change responses. This synthesis highlights the importance of protecting productive foraging grounds

Molecular sexing revealed an unexpectedly strong female bias in the sex ratio of pre-breeding European Storm Petrels (Hydrobates pelagicus), attracted to playback of conspecific calls during their northwards migration past SW Europe. This bias was consistent across seven years, ranging from 80.8% to 89.7% female (mean annual sex ratio ± SD = 85.5% female ±4.1%). The sex ratio did not differ significantly from unity (i.e., 50% female) among (i) Storm Petrel chicks at a breeding colony in NW France, (ii) adults found dead on beaches in Southern Portugal, (iii) breeding birds attending nest burrows in the UK, captured by hand, and (iv) adults captured near a breeding colony in the UK using copies of the same sound recordings as used in Southern Europe, indicating that females are not inherently more strongly attracted to playback calls than males. A morphological discriminant function analysis failed to provide a good separation of the sexes, showing the importance of molecular sexing for this species. We found no sex difference in the seasonal or nocturnal timing of migration past Southern Europe, but there was a significant tendency for birds to be caught in sex-specific aggregations. The preponderance of females captured in Southern Europe suggests that the sexes may differ in migration route or in their colony-prospecting behaviour during migration, at sites far away from their natal colonies. Such differences in migration behaviour between males and females are poorly understood but have implications for the vulnerability of seabirds to pollution and environmental change at sea during the non-breeding season. PMID:23029481

Seabirds often have high loads of contaminants. These contaminants have endocrine disrupting properties but their relationships with some endocrine mechanisms are still poorly investigated in free-living organisms. This is the case for the stress response which shifts energy investment away from reproduction and redirects it towards survival. In birds, this stress response is achieved through a release of corticosterone and is also accompanied by a decrease in circulating prolactin, an anterior pituitary hormone widely involved in regulating parental cares. We measured blood concentrations of some legacy persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and mercury (Hg) and examined their relationships with the corticosterone and prolactin responses of known-age (9-46 years old) incubating snow petrels (Pagodroma nivea) to a standardized capture/handling stress protocol. In this Antarctic seabird, we also investigated whether high contaminant burden correlates with a higher occurrence of egg neglect, a frequently observed behavior in snow petrels. POPs and Hg were unrelated to age. Stress-induced corticosterone concentrations were positively related to POPs in both sexes, and stress-induced prolactin concentrations were negatively related to Hg in males. Egg-neglect behavior was not related to POPs burden, but males with higher Hg concentrations were more likely to neglect their egg. This suggests that in birds, relationships between age and contaminants are complex and that even low to moderate concentrations of POPs and Hg are significantly related to hormonal secretion. In this Antarctic species, exposure to legacy POPs and Hg could make individuals more susceptible to environmental stressors such as ongoing disturbances in Polar Regions. PMID:25461020

Seabirds differ dramatically in life history traits and breeding strategies. For example, gulls have short incubation shifts (several hours) and high metabolic rates, auks have medium-length incubation shifts (12-24h) and high metabolic rates, and petrels have long incubation shifts (days) and low metabolic rates. How these different strategies affect the dynamics of body components is poorly known. We compared body, organ and lipid mass changes among three different seabirds (gull: black-legged kittiwake Rissa tridactyla; auk: thick-billed murre Uria lomvia; petrel: northern fulmar Fulmarus glacialis) at Prince Leopold Island, Nunavut, Canada during 2002 (a year with low reproductive success and poor chick growth across all three species). This study is among the first to compare mass and lipid dynamics among different species foraging in the same food web and at similar trophic levels during the same breeding season (same environmental conditions). In fulmars and murres, most of decreases in body mass reflected decreases in lipid mass while in kittiwakes the increase in body mass reflected an increase in lean mass, especially the muscle. The species with the longest fasting endurance (incubation shift length) had the highest percent body lipids during incubation (fulmars: 13.3%, murres: 7.3%, kittiwakes: 6.9%), the highest variability in body lipids, tended to regulate body mass primarily through lipid stores and tended to regulate exercise and digestive organs separately. In contrast, in the species with the highest metabolic rate, all organ systems were adjusted similarly and in relation to body mass, and in a similar manner between incubation (stress due to heavy ice conditions) and chick-rearing (lower stress due to ice-free conditions). In high metabolic rate species, we suggest that organ size varies in response to environmental stress. We conclude that the organ dynamics of seabirds are set by a combination of key life history traits (like incubation shift

Molecular sexing revealed an unexpectedly strong female bias in the sex ratio of pre-breeding European Storm Petrels (Hydrobates pelagicus), attracted to playback of conspecific calls during their northwards migration past SW Europe. This bias was consistent across seven years, ranging from 80.8% to 89.7% female (mean annual sex ratio ± SD = 85.5% female ±4.1%). The sex ratio did not differ significantly from unity (i.e., 50% female) among (i) Storm Petrel chicks at a breeding colony in NW France, (ii) adults found dead on beaches in Southern Portugal, (iii) breeding birds attending nest burrows in the UK, captured by hand, and (iv) adults captured near a breeding colony in the UK using copies of the same sound recordings as used in Southern Europe, indicating that females are not inherently more strongly attracted to playback calls than males. A morphological discriminant function analysis failed to provide a good separation of the sexes, showing the importance of molecular sexing for this species. We found no sex difference in the seasonal or nocturnal timing of migration past Southern Europe, but there was a significant tendency for birds to be caught in sex-specific aggregations. The preponderance of females captured in Southern Europe suggests that the sexes may differ in migration route or in their colony-prospecting behaviour during migration, at sites far away from their natal colonies. Such differences in migration behaviour between males and females are poorly understood but have implications for the vulnerability of seabirds to pollution and environmental change at sea during the non-breeding season. PMID:23029481

Previous work has shown that the relative proportions of wing components (i.e., humerus, ulna, carpometacarpus) in birds are related to function and ecology, but these have rarely been investigated in a phylogenetic context. Waterbirds including "Pelecaniformes," Ciconiiformes, Procellariiformes, Sphenisciformes, and Gaviiformes form a highly supported clade and developed a great diversity of wing forms and foraging ecologies. In this study, forelimb disparity in the waterbird clade was assessed in a phylogenetic context. Phylogenetic signal was assessed via Pagel's lambda, Blomberg's K, and permutation tests. We find that different waterbird clades are clearly separated based on forelimb component proportions, which are significantly correlated with phylogeny but not with flight style. Most of the traditional contents of "Pelecaniformes" (e.g., pelicans, cormorants, and boobies) cluster with Ciconiiformes (herons and storks) and occupy a reduced morphospace. These taxa are closely related phylogenetically but exhibit a wide range of ecologies and flight styles. Procellariiformes (e.g., petrels, albatross, and shearwaters) occupy a wide range of morphospace, characterized primarily by variation in the relative length of carpometacarpus and ulna. Gaviiformes (loons) surprisingly occupy a wing morphospace closest to diving petrels and penguins. Whether this result may reflect wing proportions plesiomorphic for the waterbird clade or a functional signal is unclear. A Bayesian approach detecting significant rate shifts across phylogeny recovered two such shifts. At the base of the two sister clades Sphenisciformes + Procellariiformes, a shift to an increase evolutionary rate of change is inferred for the ulna and carpometacarpus. Thus, changes in wing shape begin prior to the loss of flight in the wing-propelled diving clade. Several shifts to slower rate of change are recovered within stem penguins. PMID:24989899

Information on predator and prey distributions is integral to our understanding of migratory connectivity, food web dynamics and ecosystem structure. In marine systems, although large animals that return to land can be fitted with tracking devices, minimum instrument sizes preclude deployments on small seabirds that may nevertheless be highly abundant and hence major consumers. An increasingly popular approach is to use N and C stable isotope analysis of feathers sampled at colonies to provide information on distribution and trophic level for the preceding, and generally little-known, nonbreeding period. Despite the burgeoning of this research, there have been few attempts to verify such relationships. In this study, we demonstrate a clear correspondence between isotope ratios of feathers and nonbreeding distributions of seven species from South Georgia tracked using loggers. This generated a rudimentary isoscape that was used to infer the habitat preferences of eight other species ranging in size from storm petrels to albatrosses, and which could be applied, with caveats, in other studies. Differences in inferred distribution within and between species had major implications for relative exposure to anthropogenic threats, including climate change and fisheries. Although there were no differences in isotope values between sexes in any of the smaller petrels, mean stable C (delta(13)C), but not stable N isotope ratios (delta(15)N), tended to be greater in females than males of the larger, and more sexually size-dimorphic species. This indicates a difference in C source (distribution), rather than trophic level, and a correspondence between the degree of sexual size dimorphism in Procellariiformes and the level of between-sex niche segregation. PMID:19377898

This third supplement subsequent to the 6th edition (1983) of the A.O.U. "Check-list of North American Birds" consists of changes adopted by the Committee on Classification and Nomenclature as of 1 March 1989. The changes fall into nine categories: (1) six species are added to the main list (Pterodroma longirostris, Larus crassirostris, Streptopelia decaocto, Cocccyzus julieni, Chrysolampis mosquitus, Emberiza aureola) because of new distributional information; (2) five species (Ara cubensis, Chlorostilbon bracei, Empidonax occidentalis, Polioptila californica, Pipilo crissalis) are added to the main list because of the splitting of species already on the list; (3) one name (Anthus rubescens) is changed because of the splitting of a species from outside the Checklist area; (4) two names (Morus bassanus, Nyctanassa violacea) is removed from the main list to Appendix B because of re-evaluation of Northern Hemisphere records; (6) three species (Pterodrama rostrata, P. alba, P. solandri) are moved from Appendix A to Appendix B, and one (P. defilippiana) is added to Appendix B because of questionable sight records; (7)A.O.U. numbers are added to three species (Ciccaba virgata, Myiopagis viridicata, Molothrus bonariensis) on the basis on new distributional records or supporting data; (8) several corrections in spelling or citations are made; and (9) English names are changed for twelve species to accommodate worldwide usage of these names. No new distributional information is included except as indicated above (i.e. minor changes of distribution are not noted). These actions bring the number of species recognized as occurring in North America (main list) to 1,945.

In the past year, we have used our Sentry and Nereus Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV) on six deep sea cruises searching for extreme environments that can support life. Two of these cruises took place on Mid-Ocean Ridge terrain (Mid Cayman Rise, Galapagos Rift), three on active methane seeps (Santa Monica/Santa Barbara Basins, Hydrate Ridge, Haakon-Mosby Mud Volcano), and one took place at the site of the Deepwater Horizon blowout. This presentation summarizes how we used the vehicles, their automatic control systems, and their sensor suites in these different environments to identify and quantify chemical fluxes emerging from the seafloor. We also took advantage of complementary data from lowered and towed platforms. Examples will include the following: * ●In the Cayman Trough and the Galapagos Rift, we used in-situ chemical sensing (conductivity, temperature, optical backscatter, and redox potential) to locate hydrothermal sources. * ●In the Galapagos Rift, we also used our 400khz multibeam sonar to locate hydrothermal sites using acoustic backscatter from plumes and by building bathymetric maps of likely hydrothermal structures. * ●In the Santa Monica and Santa Barbara Basins, we used the TETHYS in-situ mass spectrometer to locate active methane seeps and to determine the ratio of biogenic to thermogenic methane through isotopic analysis. We used this information in real-time to alter the vehicle's trajectory and, hence, improve measurements over the most interesting locations. * ●At the site of the Deepwater Horizon blowout, we used Sentry and TETHYS to map a deep hydrocarbon plume from just outside the vessel exclusion zone out to a distance of 35 km. Analysis of oxygen data from an electrode, an optode, the mass spectrometer, and from titration of samples brought to the surface supported estimates of microbial respiration rates. * ●On Hydrate Ridge, we showed that the 400khz multibeam sonar is an effective tool for locating active methane bubble

Melt inclusions are an invaluable tool to characterize the composition of lavas prior to differentiation and mixing in magma chambers. They provide an advantage over erupted magmas because they are samples of very small amounts of melt commonly trapped at pressures exceeding the pressure of eruption, and their chemical compositions have remained unchanged since entrapment. We have analyzed major, trace element, and volatile contents in more than 100 olivine-hosted (Fo81-87) melt inclusions in submarine and subaerial lavas from the Galapagos Islands of Fernandina and Santiago respectively. Our results indicate that enriched and ultra-depleted melt compositions coexist in the magmatic plumbing system beneath Galapagos volcanoes. Furthermore, the trace element compositional variations found in melt inclusions from a single sample reproduce the total geochemical variation defined by the whole rock data for the Galapagos lavas. Establishing the processes responsible for such variations will therefore have direct implications on the origin of the compositional variation of basalts throughout the Archipelago. The entrapment pressure of ~1 kbar calculated from the CO2-H2O data indicates the presence of a magma chamber corresponding to a depth of ~3 km. A subgroup of inclusions is characterized by significant depletion in incompatible trace elements with unusual (Sr/Nd)PM and (Ba/Th)PM ratios greater than unity, without significant modification of the major elements, giving rise to the ‘ghost plagioclase’ signature [1]. Two main origins have been proposed for this unusual melt inclusion composition: 1) recycling, through tectonics, of plagioclase cumulate within the ancient oceanic crust back into the mantle where it is later remelted [1] or 2) the interaction of melts with a plagioclase-rich cumulate during melt percolation within the oceanic lithosphere [2,3]. With an interest in discriminating the validity of each hypothesis, we will model plagioclase dissolution in

Observations of surface ozone, NOx and meteorological variables were made during two ground based field campaigns in the Eastern Pacific marine boundary layer (MBL). The first study was PIQUERO (Primera Investigación de la Química, Evolución y Reparto de Ozono), running from September 2000 to July 2001 in parallel to the Southern Hemisphere ADditional OZonesondes (SHADOZ) in the Galápagos Islands. The second study is the Climate and HAlogen Reactivity tropicaL EXperiment (CHARLEX), running from September 2010 to present. These long-term, high frequency, measurements enable a detailed description of the daily, monthly, seasonal and interannual variability of ozone and help to constrain the MBL and lower free troposphere (FT) ozone budget. In the Equatorial Eastern Pacific "cold season" (August - October), net ozone photochemical destruction of ~ 2 ppb day-1 occurs in the MBL (~30% due to halogens, and the rest to HOx). Ozone recovers by entrainment from aloft at night. The monthly baseline is set by the tropical instability waves (TIW), which also impact the ozone concentration in the lower FT. In the cold phase of the TIWs the MBL is stratified and, apart from higher surface ozone, it may also contain an upper drier layer with higher ozone between ~ 500 m and the main inversion at ~1 km. In the warm phase the buoyant MBL expands upwards (as much as 500 m) and poor ozone air reaches the FT. As the system shifts to the warm season (February- April), the TIWs stop and the sea becomes warmer, increasing evaporation and reducing ozone. The inversion is pushed upwards and finally disappears or becomes very weak. Surface ozone is so low that even at the low background NOx levels observed ozone production balances photochemical destruction, so the daily profile is flat (observed local effects in the populated areas of Galapagos are discussed). In February Galapagos is almost in the doldrums because the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) shifts south. In this

Hotspots provide a unique opportunity to sample mantle heterogeneities and thereby gain insight into the geodynamic history of our planet. Well-documented excursions in isotopic ratios from values typical of normal mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) classsically underpin our understanding of geochemical heterogeneity. Major elements too appear to record litholoigcal heterogeneity and thus deepen our understanding of the processes responsible for creating heterogeneity. Here we report the Fe3+/∑Fe ratios of submarine glasses dredged from ocean islands (Samoa, Hawai'i, Pitcairn, Societies) and plume-affected ridge segments (Azores, Galapagos). When corrected for low-pressure crystal fractionation to 8 wt.% MgO, Fe3+/∑Fe(8)ratios of ocean island basalts (OIB) from Samoa, Loihi, and Pitcairn extend to higher values than normal MORB (0.16±0.01) and, with one exeption, overlap with the range observed in back arc basin basalts (0.16 to 0.21 at Samoa, 0.17 to 0.19 at Loihi, and 0.19 to 0.27 at Pitcairn). Plume-affected samples are among the most oxidized MORBs (~0.168 at Azores and ~0.175 at Galapagos). Basalt Fe3+/∑Fe ratios provide one proxy for the oxygen fugacity (fO2) of the mantle from which they derive. The higher oxidation state of Fe in OIB relative to MORB may reflect higher fO2 in the source mantle of OIB relative to MORB, and may further explain major element systematics in OIBs as well as their more calc-alkaline nature. We also report that Fe3+/∑Fe(8) ratios correlate with isotopic ratios, such as 87Sr/86Sr, which may trace recycled continental crust (Samoa: R=0.57, n=8; Galapagos: R = 0.94, n=8). Strikingly, these positive correlations are opposite to those observed in MORB away from plumes, where Fe3+/∑Fe(8) ratios correlate negatively with indicies of enrichment (e.g. 87Sr/86Sr, R = -0.71, n=31 and Ba/La, R = -0.72, n=19, Cottrell and Kelley, Science, 2013 and unpub.). Yet, these new OIB data support conclusions drawn from MORB: redox heterogeneities

Janus kinases (JAK1, JAK2, JAK3, and TYK2) are involved in the signaling of multiple cytokines important in cellular function. Blockade of the JAK-STAT pathway with a small molecule has been shown to provide therapeutic immunomodulation. Having identified JAK1 as a possible new target for arthritis at Galapagos, the compound library was screened against JAK1, resulting in the identification of a triazolopyridine-based series of inhibitors represented by 3. Optimization within this chemical series led to identification of GLPG0634 (65, filgotinib), a selective JAK1 inhibitor currently in phase 2B development for RA and phase 2A development for Crohn's disease (CD). PMID:25369270

Here, we report the discovery and characterization of biominerals in the acorn worms Saccoglossus bromophenolosus and Ptychodera flava galapagos (Phylum: Hemichordata). Using electron microscopy, X-ray microprobe analyses and confocal Raman spectroscopy, we show that hemichordate biominerals are small CaCO(3) aragonitic elements restricted to specialized epidermal structures, and in S. bromophenolosus, are apparently secreted by sclerocytes. Investigation of urchin biomineralizing proteins in the translated genome and expressed sequence tag (EST) libraries of Saccoglossus kowalevskii indicates that three members of the urchin MSP-130 family, a carbonic anhydrase and a matrix metaloprotease are present and transcribed during the development of S. kowalevskii. The SM family of proteins is absent from the hemichordate genome. These results increase the number of phyla known to biomineralize and suggest that some of the gene-regulatory 'toolkit', if not mineralized tissue themselves, may have been present in the common ancestor to hemichordates and echinoderms. PMID:22496191

The Mid-Pacific Mountains are guyots whose volcanic pedestals have been constructed on a broad basement plateau, the flanks of which are downfaulted. Edifice construction may have been controlled by an orthogonal system of intersecting faults trending roughly ENE and NNW. Low amplitude gravity anomalies observed over the Mid-Pacific Mountains indicate complete Airy-Heiskanen isostatic compensation, crustal thickening, and eruption on thin elastic lithosphere. Tholeiites of the Mid-Pacific Mountains resemble lavas of Iceland and the Galapagos Islands. The orthogonal fault system, low gravity anomalies, and lava chemistry of the Mid-Pacific Mountains can be explained by eruption on or near a great ENE-trending rift system.

Footage shows the view of Earth from the Columbia Orbiter. A video conference of the crew members of STS-109 (Commander Scott Altman, Pilot Duane Carey, Payload Commander John Grunsfeld, and Mission Specialists Nancy Currie, James Newman, Richard Linnehan, and Michael Massimino) and of the International Space Station is seen as they discuss and share their experiences in space. Carey and Currie are seen as they answer questions sent from school children. Additional footage of the view of Earth is shown as the crew members answer more questions about the mission during an on-orbit interview. The view of the Hubble Space Telescope in the distance is seen. The video concludes with a view of the Galapagos Islands.

Chemosynthetic symbioses between bacteria and marine invertebrates were discovered 30 years ago at hydrothermal vents on the Galapagos Rift. Remarkably, it took the discovery of these symbioses in the deep sea for scientists to realize that chemosynthetic symbioses occur worldwide in a wide range of habitats, including cold seeps, whale and wood falls, shallow-water coastal sediments and continental margins. The evolutionary success of these symbioses is evident from the wide range of animal groups that have established associations with chemosynthetic bacteria; at least seven animal phyla are known to host these symbionts. The diversity of the bacterial symbionts is equally high, and phylogenetic analyses have shown that these associations have evolved on multiple occasions by convergent evolution. This Review focuses on the diversity of chemosynthetic symbionts and their hosts, and examines the traits that have resulted in their evolutionary success. PMID:18794911

Although primarily a coral reef species the grey reef shark Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos has been recorded from a number of subtropical oceanic islands and reefs in the Southwest Pacific Ocean. Examination of all nominal C. amblyrhynchos voucher material collected from Lord Howe Island, Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs and Norfolk Island resulted in the re-identification of these specimens as Galapagos sharks, C. galapagensis. As C. amblyrhynchos superficially resembles C. galapagensis visual records of C. amblyrhynchos from Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs and the Kermadec Islands cannot be substantiated without voucher material. Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos therefore appears to be confined to waters north of about 25o S in the Southwest Pacific. Precaudal vertebral counts should be used to confirm the identification of nominal C. amblyrhynchos specimens that have an interdorsal ridge. PMID:27395655

Isla del Coco lies at 5 degrees 32'N latitude, 87 degrees 04'W longitude and is the sole peak of the Cocos Ridge exposed above sea level. This isolated island formed approximately 2 million years ago. It rises 575 m above the surface of the sea and covers 46 km2 (Castillo et aI., 1988). Five hundred km to the NNE is Costa Rica; 630 km SSW are the Galapagos Islands; 650 km to the E is Isla Malpelo, Colombia; and approximately 8,000 km W lie the Line Islands. Costa Rica claimed Isla del Coco in 1832 and declared it a National Park in 1978. The area of the park was increased to include the adjacent waters 5 km offshore in 1984 and 25 km offshore in 1991.

Seafloor survey instruments are integral to the study of marine geology. Because understanding their resolution and limitations is critical, we compare how different survey systems represent the seafloor. Coincident data collected at the Galapagos propagator (GLORIA, SeaMARC II, Sea Beam, Deep-Tow, camera sled, and Alvin) allow comparisons of how well seafloor features (e.g., faults and volcanoes) observed and characterized in high resolution data are represented in lower resolution, coarser-scale data sets. Our reported values for the minimum sizes of detected and well-represented features show that practical geological resolutions are generally ˜2-10 times lower than theoretical resolutions; care must be taken in evaluating which system to use to address a particular problem.

Here, we report the discovery and characterization of biominerals in the acorn worms Saccoglossus bromophenolosus and Ptychodera flava galapagos (Phylum: Hemichordata). Using electron microscopy, X-ray microprobe analyses and confocal Raman spectroscopy, we show that hemichordate biominerals are small CaCO3 aragonitic elements restricted to specialized epidermal structures, and in S. bromophenolosus, are apparently secreted by sclerocytes. Investigation of urchin biomineralizing proteins in the translated genome and expressed sequence tag (EST) libraries of Saccoglossus kowalevskii indicates that three members of the urchin MSP-130 family, a carbonic anhydrase and a matrix metaloprotease are present and transcribed during the development of S. kowalevskii. The SM family of proteins is absent from the hemichordate genome. These results increase the number of phyla known to biomineralize and suggest that some of the gene-regulatory ‘toolkit’, if not mineralized tissue themselves, may have been present in the common ancestor to hemichordates and echinoderms. PMID:22496191

Growth of the obligately chemolithotrophic Thiomicrospira sp. strain L-12, isolated from a hydrothermal vent at a depth of 2,550 m in the Galapagos Rift region, was optimal at pH 8 and required 200 mM Na/sup +/ and divalent ions (Ca/sup 2 +/ and Mg/sup 2 +/). The organism was microaerophilic and tolerated 300 ..mu..M sulfide without a decrease in the rate of CO/sub 2/ incorporation. Growth and CO/sub 2/ incorporation occurred within the temperature range of 10 to 35/sup 0/C, with both optimal at 25/sup 0/C. At the in situ pressure of 250 atm, the rate of CO/sub 2/ incorporation was reduced by 25% relative to that measured at 1 atm; it was entirely suppressed at 500 atm. The results of this physiological characterization suggest that Thiomicrospira sp. strain L-12 can be an active autotroph in the hydrothermal environment.

The role of the most common land iguana (Conolophus subcristatus) in the Galápagos Islands as an effective seed disperser is explored in this study. A total of 5705 seeds of 32 plant species were identified from 160 scats, 4545 of which (80%) appeared visually undamaged. Germination trials of 849 seeds from 29 species revealed that at least 10 species remained viable after passing through the iguana's gut, although only a small proportion of those seeds (4%) germinated. In any case, we argue that C. subcristatus exerts an important role on the 7 Galapagos islands where it occurs because of its abundance and capacity to ingest and disperse seeds at long distances. Our results strongly suggest that the Galápagos C. subcristatus plays an important role as a seed disperser of not only of native species but also some introduced plants in the Galápagos Islands. PMID:26748830

Charles Darwin experienced a major earthquake in the Concepción-Valdivia region of Chile 175 years ago, in February 1835. His observations dramatically illustrated the geologic principles of James Hutton and Charles Lyell which maintained that the surface of the earth was subject to alterations by natural events, such as earthquakes, volcanoes, and the erosive action of wind and water, operating over very long periods of time. Changes in the land created new environments and fostered adaptations in life forms that could lead to the formation of new species. Without the demonstration of the accumulation of multiple crustal events over time in Chile, the biologic implications of the specific species of birds and tortoises found in the Galapagos Islands and the formulation of the concept of natural selection might have remained dormant. PMID:21038753

The overall objective of this experiment was to test the iron hypothesis does the addition of iron to nutrient rich surface waters enhance productivity? Our specific objectives in this experiment included sampling and studying the marine aerosol size and type (which are related to chemical reactivity) during the PlumEx cruise to determine the importance of local (Galapagos Islands) versus long-range sources of atmospheric material. Detailed results of single particle analysis of our samples are being prepared for publication in two papers. We collect aerosol samples and they have been analyzed for trace metals and other elements. We are mapped aerosol distribution and the desert source areas around the Arabian Sea region. We did record a clear relationship between the aerosol radiance and synoptic weather patterns with distinct signals over the ocean northwest and southwest of Australia. While the interpretation was limited an aerosol climatology pattern was presented.

Ophichthus brevirostris, a new species of snake eel, subfamily Ophichthinae, is described from a specimen trawled in deep water (406-440 m) off North Carolina. It is distinguished from its congeners by the following combination of characters: large orbit; filamentous pectoral fin; two preopercular pores; short snout; minute dentition; body coloration; and vertebral formula (13/60/153). It is most similar to Ophichthus arneutes from the Gala??pagos, O. genie from New Caledonia and Maldives, and two undescribed congeners from Seychelles and Tonga. It differs from them in its dorsalfin origin, dentition, and vertebral numbers. Its characteristics do not agree with that of any of the 15 known leptocephali of western Atlantic relatives. ?? 2007 by the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists.

We construct a time-dependent, compressible mantle convection model in three-dimensional spherical geometry that is consistent with tomography-based instantaneous flow dynamics, using an updated and revised pseudo-spectral numerical method [Glisovic et al., Geophys. J. Int. 2012]. We explored the impact of two end-member surface boundary conditions, for a rigid and plate-like surface, along with geodynamically-inferred radial viscosity profiles. In each case we find that deep-mantle hot upwellings are durable and stable features in the mantle-wide convective circulation. These deeply-rooted mantle plumes show remarkable longevity over very long geological time spans (several hundred million years), mainly owing to the high viscosity in the lower mantle. Our very-long time convection simulations suggest that the deep-mantle plumes beneath the following hotspots: Pitcairn, Easter, Galapagos, Crozet, Kerguelen, Caroline and Cape Verde, are most reliably resolved in the present-day tomographic images.

The Cuatro Ciénegas Basin (CCB) has been identified as a center of endemism for many life-forms. Nearly half the bacterial species found in the spring systems have their closest relatives in the ocean. This raises the question of whether the high diversity observed today is the product of an adaptive radiation similar to that of the Galapagos Islands or whether the bacterial groups are "survivors" of an ancient sea, which would be of interest for astrobiology. To help answer this question, we focused on Firmicutes from Cuatro Ciénegas (mainly Bacillus and Exiguobacterium). We reconstructed the phylogenetic relationships of Firmicutes with 28 housekeeping genes and dated the resulting tree using geological events as calibration points. Our results show that marine Bacillus diverged from other Bacillus strains 838 Ma, while Bacillus from Cuatro Ciénegas have divergence dates that range from 770 to 202 Ma. The members of Exiguobacterium from the CCB conform to a much younger group that diverged from the Andes strain 60 Ma and from the one in Yellowstone 183 Ma. Therefore, the diversity of Firmicutes in Cuatro Ciénegas is not the product of a recent radiation but the product of the isolation of lineages from an ancient ocean. Hence, Cuatro Ciénegas is not a Galapagos Archipelago for bacteria but is more like an astrobiological "time machine" in which bacterial lineages survived in an oligotrophic environment that may be very similar to that of the Precambrian. Key Words: Firmicutes-Cuatro Ciénegas-Precambrian-Molecular dating-Western Interior Seaway. PMID:22920517

Population monitoring is vital for conservation and management. However, simple counts of animals can be misleading and this problem is exacerbated in seals (pinnipeds) where individuals spend much time foraging away from colonies. We analyzed a 13-year-series of census data of Galapagos sea lions (Zalophus wollebaeki) from the colony of Caamaño, an islet in the center of the Galapagos archipelago where a large proportion of animals was individually marked. Based on regular resighting efforts during the cold, reproductive (cold-R; August to January) and the warm, non-reproductive (warm-nR; February to May) season, we document changes in numbers for different sex and age classes. During the cold-R season the number of adults increased as the number of newborn pups increased. Numbers were larger in the morning and evening than around mid-day and not significantly influenced by tide levels. More adults frequented the colony during the warm-nR season than the cold-R season. Raw counts suggested a decline in numbers over the 13 years, but Lincoln-Petersen (LP-) estimates (assuming a closed population) did not support that conclusion. Raw counts and LP estimates were not significantly correlated, demonstrating the overwhelming importance of variability in attendance patterns of individuals. The probability of observing a given adult in the colony varied between 16% (mean for cold-R season) and 23% (warm-nR season) and may be much less for independent 2 to 4 year olds. Dependent juveniles (up to the age of about 2 years) are observed much more frequently ashore (35% during the cold-R and 50% during the warm-nR seasons). Simple counts underestimate real population size by a factor of 4-6 and may lead to erroneous conclusions about trends in population size. PMID:27148735

A strong El Niño developed in early 2015. Measurements from a research cruise on the R/V Sonne in October 2015 near the Equator east of the Galapagos Islands and off the shelf of Peru are used to investigate changes related to El Niño in the upper ocean in comparison with earlier cruises in this region. At the Equator at 85°30' W, a clear temperature increase leading to lower densities in the upper 350 m had developed in October 2015, despite a concurrent salinity increase from 40 to 350 m. Lower nutrient concentrations were also present in the upper 200 m, and higher oxygen concentrations were observed between 40 and 130 m. In the equatorial current field, the Equatorial Undercurrent (EUC) east of the Galapagos Islands almost disappeared in October 2015, with a transport of only 0.02 Sv in the equatorial channel between 1° S and 1° N, and a weak current band of 0.78 Sv located between 1 and 2°30' S. Such near-disappearances of the EUC in the eastern Pacific seem to occur only during strong El Niño events. Off the Peruvian shelf at ˜ 9° S, characteristics of upwelling were different as warm, saline, and oxygen-rich water was upwelled. At ˜ 12, ˜ 14, and ˜ 16° S, the upwelling of cold, low-salinity, and oxygen-poor water was still active at the easternmost stations of these three sections, while further west on these sections a transition to El Niño conditions appeared. Although from early 2015 the El Niño was strong, the October measurements in the eastern tropical Pacific only showed developing El Niño water mass distributions. In particular, the oxygen distribution indicated the ongoing transition from "typical" to El Niño conditions progressing southward along the Peruvian shelf.

Tubastraea tagusensis, a coral native to the Galapagos Archipelago, has successfully established and invaded the Brazilian coast where it modifies native tropical rocky shore and coral reef communities. In order to understand the processes underlying the establishment of T. tagusensis, we tested whether Maxent, a tool for species distribution modeling, based on the native range of T. tagusensis correctly forecasted the invasion range of this species in Brazil. The Maxent algorithm was unable to predict the Brazilian coast as a suitable environment for the establishment of T. tagusensis. A comparison between these models and a principal component analysis (PCA) allowed us to examine the environmental dissimilarity between the two occupied regions (native and invaded) and to assess the species' occupied niche breadth. According to the PCA results, lower levels of chlorophyll-a and nitrate on the Atlantic coast segregate the Brazilian and Galapagos environments, implying that T. tagusensis may have expanded its realized niche during the invasion process. We tested the possible realized niche expansion in T. tagusensis by assuming that Tubastraea spp. have similar fundamental niches, which was supported by exploring the environmental space of T. coccinea, a tropical-cosmopolitan congener of T. tagusensis. We believe that the usage of Maxent should be treated with caution, especially when applied to biological invasion (or climate change) scenarios where the target species has a highly localized native (original) distribution, which may represent only a small portion of its fundamental niche, and therefore a violation of a SDM assumption. PMID:26078853

Shield volcanoes are described as low angle edifices that have convex up topographic profiles and are built primarily by the accumulation of lava flows. This generic view of shields' morphology is based on a limited number of monogenetic shields from Iceland and Mexico, and a small set of large oceanic islands (Hawaii, Galapagos). Here, the morphometry of over 150 monogenetic and polygenetic shield volcanoes, identified inthe Global Volcanism Network database, are analysed quantitatively from 90-meter resolution DEMs using the MORVOLC algorithm. An additional set of 20 volcanoes identified as stratovolcanoes but having low slopes and being dominantly built up by accumulation of lava flows are documented for comparison. Results show that there is a large variation in shield size (volumes range from 0.1 to >1000 km3), profile shape (height/basal width ratios range from 0.01 to 0.1), flank slope gradients, elongation and summit truncation. Correlation and principal component analysis of the obtained quantitative database enables to identify 4 key morphometric descriptors: size, steepness, plan shape and truncation. Using these descriptors through clustering analysis, a new classification scheme is proposed. It highlights the control of the magma feeding system - either central, along a linear structure, or spatially diffuse - on the resulting shield volcano morphology. Genetic relationships and evolutionary trends between contrasted morphological end-members can be highlighted within this new scheme. Additional findings are that the Galapagos-type morphology with a central deep caldera and steep upper flanks are characteristic of other shields. A series of large oceanic shields have slopes systematically much steeper than the low gradients (<4-8°) generally attributed to large Hawaiian-type shields. Finally, the continuum of morphologies from flat shields to steeper complex volcanic constructs considered as stratovolcanoes calls for a revision of this oversimplified

Late Cretaceous mafic volcanic sequences in Western Colombia and in the southern Caribbean have a striking coherence in their chemistry and compositional range which suggests they are part of the same magmatic province. The chemical characteristics of the majority of the mafic lavas are totally unlike those of island arc or marginal basin basalts, so the sequences cannot represent accreted arc terranes. On the other hand their trace element characteristics closely resemble those of Icelandic/Reykjanes Ridge basalts that represent an oceanic plateau formed by extensive decompression melting of an uprising deep mantle plume. The occurrence of komatiites on Gorgona and high-MgO picritic lavas in S.E. Colombia and on Curaçao, representing high temperature melts of the plume tail, confirms this analogy. Likewise, late stage rhyolites within the Colombian mafic volcanics may well be the equivalent of the extensive silicic magmas on Iceland and at Galapagos, possibly formed by remelting of the deep parts of the overthickened basaltic crust above the plume head. These volcanics, plus others around the Caribbean, including the floor of the Central Caribbean, probably all represent part of an oceanic plateau that formed rapidly at the Galapagos hotspot at 88 Ma, and that was too hot and buoyant to subduct beneath the margin of S. America as it migrated westwards with the opening of the South Atlantic, and so was imbricated along the continental margin. Minor arc-like volcanics, tonalites and hornblende leucogabbro veins may represent the products of subduction-flip of normal ocean crust against the buoyant plateau, or hydrous melts developed during imbrication/obduction.

New geochemical analyses of volcanic rocks in El Salvador add to existing data from Nicaragua and Costa Rica to create a comprehensive set of geochemical data for Central American volcanics. These data coupled with previously published 40Ar/39Ar ages covering the past 30 Ma shows that Costa Rica and Nicaragua had similar U/Th and Ba/La values until 10 Ma when the region developed the distinctive along arc variations that made this margin famous. U/Th values increased in Nicaragua since the Miocene, while remaining unchanged along the rest of the volcanic front. This coincides temporally with the Carbonate Crash, which caused a transition in Cocos plate sediments from low-U carbonates to high-U, organic rich hemipelagic muds. Increases in uranium are not observed in Costa Rica because its lower slab dip produces a more diffuse zone of partial melting and because of the contribution from Galapagos-derived tracks dilutes this signal. Ba/La has been used as a geochemical proxy for contributions from the subducting slab, however our analyses indicate that the Ba concentrations do not vary significantly along strike either in the subducting sediment or the volcanic front. Along-arc variation is controlled by changes in La, an indicator of the degree of partial melting or source enrichment. Trace element models of five segments of the volcanic front suggest that a subducting sediment component is more important to magmas produced in El Salvador and Nicaragua than in Costa Rica, where the geochemistry is controlled by recent (<10 Ma) recycling of Galapagos tracks.

Within individuals, immunity may compete with other life history traits for resources, such as energy and protein, and the damage caused by immunopathology can sometimes outweigh the protective benefits that immune responses confer. However, our understanding of the costs of immunity in the wild and how they relate to the myriad energetic demands on free-ranging organisms is limited. The endangered Galapagos sea lion (Zalophus wollebaeki) is threatened simultaneously by disease from domestic animals and rapid changes in food availability driven by unpredictable environmental variation. We made use of this unique ecology to investigate the relationship between changes in immune activity and changes in body condition. We found that during the first three months of life, changes in antibody concentration were negatively correlated with changes in mass per unit length, skinfold thickness and serum albumin concentration, but only in a sea lion colony exposed to anthropogenic environmental impacts. It has previously been shown that changes in antibody concentration during early Galapagos sea lion development were higher in a colony exposed to anthropogenic environmental impacts than in a control colony. This study allows for the possibility that these relatively large changes in antibody concentration are associated with negative impacts on fitness through an effect on body condition. Our findings suggest that energy availability and the degree of plasticity in immune investment may influence disease risk in natural populations synergistically, through a trade-off between investment in immunity and resistance to starvation. The relative benefits of such investments may change quickly and unpredictably, which allows for the possibility that individuals fine-tune their investment strategies in response to changes in environmental conditions. In addition, our results suggest that anthropogenic environmental impacts may impose subtle energetic costs on individuals, which

The origin of the alignment and spacing of volcanoes has traditionally been treated from two fundamentally different perspectives: continental and oceanic. With the overwhelming evidence from the Hawaiian-Emperor chain, where a robust plume has generated a simple time-transgressive chain of volcanic islands, many oceanic alignments worldwide have been ascribed to plate motion above a fixed source of melting. Conversely, alignments of volcanoes in continental settings are primarily ascribed to some structural or tectonic pathway that serves to guide rising magmas. This fundamental difference of cause and effect, with respect to these two settings, has led to misinterpretations regarding the age and evolution of some island chains. In the Hawaiian Islands attributes like volcano age, elevation, morphology, and lava composition change systematically in the direction of plate motion away from the most recent activity on the island of Hawaii. However, some other plume-related volcanic archipelagoes have more diffuse volcanic activity and the relative ages among some the islands are not so clear. In the Galapagos Islands, although the maximum measured ages of the lava flows increase systematically eastward from Fernandina to San Cristobal, the large western volcanoes are essentially coeval. Similar ages imply that morphological and geochemical differences among these volcanoes are due to differences in melt generation and magma supply imposed by variations in plume strength and lithospheric structure rather than an evolutionary model like that predicted for Hawaiian systems. Comparisons of other volcanic chains and fields less voluminous than Hawaii indicate that although oceanic and continental magmas are chemically quite different, the controls governing their emplacement are not. The emplacement of smaller volume oceanic systems like the Galapagos, Canaries, Reunion, and many seamounts may share more aspects with continental volcanic fields than they do with large

Volca??n Alcedo is one of the seven western Gala??pagos shields and is the only active Gala??pagos volcano known to have erupted rhyolite as well as basalt. The volcano stands 4 km above the sea floor and has a subaerial volume of 200 km3, nearly all of which is basalt. As Volca??n Alcedo grew, it built an elongate domal shield, which was partly truncated during repeated caldera-collapse and partial-filling episodes. An outward-dipping sequence of basalt flows at least 250 m thick forms the steepest (to 33??) flanks of the volcano and is not tilted; thus a constructional origin for the steep upper flanks is favored. About 1 km3 of rhyolite erupted late in the volcano's history from at least three vents and in 2-5 episodes. The most explosive of these produced a tephra blanket that covers the eastern half of the volcano. Homogeneous rhyolitic pumice is overlain by dacite-rhyolite commingled pumice, with no stratigraphic break. The tephra is notable for its low density and coarse grain size. The calculated height of the eruption plume is 23-30 km, and the intensity is estimated to have been 1.2x108 kg/s. Rhyolitic lavas vented from the floor of the caldera and from fissures along the rim overlie the tephra of the plinian phase. The age of the rhyolitic eruptions is ???120 ka, on the basis of K-Ar ages. Between ten and 20 basaltic lava flows are younger than the rhyolites. Recent faulting resulted in a moat around part of the caldera floor. Alcedo most resently erupted sometime between 1946 and 1960 from its southern flank. Alcedo maintains an active, transient hydrothermal system. Acoustic and seismic activity in 1991 is attributed to the disruption of the hydrothermal system by a regional-scale earthquake. ?? 1994 Springer-Verlag.

The occurrences of oceanic assemblages on the Pacific shore of Costa Rica are part of an intricate group of complexes with different tectonic origins. Although they are dismembered and disrupted, they are the only available inland source of information to decipher the evolution of this active margin. Six main regions are described in this paper: (1) Santa Elena Peninsula, constituted by a supra-subduction zone (Santa Elena Nappe), that is overthrusting an igneous-sedimentary Aptian-Cenomanian sequence (Santa Rosa Accretionary Complex), which includes OIB (Ocean Island Basalts) portions, (2) the Nicoya Complex, which is a Jurassic-Cretaceous chert sediment pile disrupted and detached from its original basement by multiple magmatic events that occurred during the formation of the CLIP (Caribbean Large Igneous Province), (3) the Tortugal area formed by the Tortugal Suite with OIB signature and surrounded by Nicoya Complex outcrops, (4) the Herradura Block composed of the Tulín Formation to Maastrichtian to Lower Eocene OIB accreted oceanic island and the Nicoya Complex as basement, (5) Quepos Block correlated with the Tulín Formation, (6) the Osa-Burica Block composed of the Golfito and Burica Terranes (geochemically and chronologically correlated to the Nicoya Complex), Rincón Block (Early Paleocene to Early Eocene accreted seamounts), and the Miocene Osa-Caño Accretionary Complex. The Santa Rosa Accretionary Complex together with the Tortugal Suite have OIB signatures and possibly without Galapagos hotspot geochemical affinity. These coincidences would be explained by the hypothetical existence of an "autochthonous" Cretaceous basement formed by these two regions together with the rest of the Caribbean. Costa Rican basement is constituted by several CLIP portions and seamounts accreted from the end of Cretaceous in the northwest to the Miocene in the southeast, forming the diverse oceanic occurrences of the Pacific, which are mainly connected to the Galapagos

This thesis consists of two parts: 1) methane and 2) radioactive isotopes, especially radon, in submarine hydrothermal systems. Both parts deal with the use of these gases as tracers for mapping hydrothermal vents at sea, and with their relationships to other sensitive tracers such as helium, manganese, and temperature. Hydrothermal methane was used as a real-time tracer for locating new submarine hydrothermal systems along spreading axes, discovering new hydrothermal systems at two locations in Pacific Ocean: 1) 20/sup 0/S on East Pacific Rise, and 2) Mariana Trough Back-arc Basin. Methane shows good correlations with helium-3 and temperature with similar ratios in various hydrothermal systems, 3 to 42 x 10/sup 6/ for the methane to helium-3 ratio, and 3 to 19 ..mu.. cc/kg/sup 0/C for the methane to temperature anomaly. These similar ratios from different areas provide evidence for chemical homogeneity of submarine hydrothermal waters. A good correlation between methane and manganese appears to be associated only with high-temperature hydrothermal systems. Radioisotopes in the vent waters of 21/sup 0/N high-temperature hydrothermal system have end-member concentrations of 7.5 to 40 dpm/kg for Ra-226, 360 dpm/kg for Rn 222, 62 dpm/kg for Pb-210, and 19 dpm/kg for Po-210. The radon activity for this system is one order of magnitude lower, and the Pb-210 activity is one order or magnitude higher, than those a the low temperature Galapagos system. All these observations suggest that the high radon, and low Pb-210 activity observed in Galapagos system may originate from the extensive subsurface mixing and water-rock interaction in this system (direct injection of radon and scavenging of Pb-210).

We have made radiocarbon measurements of banded hermatypic corals from Florida, Belize, and the Galapagos Islands. Interpretation is presented here of these previously reported results. These measurements represent the /sup 14/C//sup 12/C ratios in dissolved inorganic carbon (DIOC) in the surface ocean waters of the Gulf Stream and the Peru Current at the time of coral ring formation. A depletion in radiocarbon concentration was observed incoral rings that grew from A.D. 1900--1952. It was caused by dilution of existing /sup 14/C levels with dead CO/sub 2/ from fossil fuel burning (the Suess effect, or S/sub e/). A similar trend was observed in the distribution of bomb-produced /sup 14/C in corals that had grown during the years following A.D. 1952. The concentration of bomb-produced radiocarbon was much higher in corals from temperate regions (Florida, Belize, Hawaiian Islands) than in corals from tropical regions (Galapagos Islands and Canton Island). The apparent radiocarbon ages of the surface waters in temperate and tropical oceans during the preanthropogenic period range from about 280 to 520 years B.P. (-40 to -69%). At all investigated locations, it is likely that waters at subsurface depths have the same apparent radiocarbon age of about 670 years B.P. From the change of oceanic ..delta../sup 14/C in the surface during post-bomb times, the approximate annual rate of net input of /sup 14/CO/sub 2/ to the ocean waters is calculated to be about 8% of the prevailing /sup 14/C difference between atmosphere and ocean. From this input and from preanthropogenic ..delta../sup 14/C values found at each location, it can be seen that vertical mixing of water in the Peru Current is about 3 times greater than that in the Gulf Stream.

Rábida Island in the Galapagos has experienced both explosive and effusive volcanism. It is located to the east of the most active volcanoes of the Galapagos, and previously determined ages range from 0.9 to 1.1 Ma. An unusually curved escarpment cuts the western sector of the island, which might be part of a caldera wall, although its radius of curvature is much greater than that of the island. Lavas range from basalt to rhyolite, and there are also several intermediate compositions, which are unique in the archipelago. A welded ignimbrite crops out in northeast sector, the only such deposit known in the entire region. The volumetric proportion of evolved rocks is unusually high; 25% of the rocks in our comprehensive sample set are intermediate to felsic. The siliceous rocks occur in two clusters in the southern and southwestern sections of the island, suggesting two separate sources. The intermediate rocks are concentrated in the center and northwestern parts of the island. Despite these foci of more siliceous lavas, basalt is the most widespread rock type across the island. It is notable that Rabida is immediately east of Volcan Alcedo, which is the only active Galápagos volcano that has also erupted rhyolite, and south of Santiago Island, which erupted the trachyte dome observed by Charles Darwin in 1835. These observations, in conjunction with the cumulate xenoliths observed in Rábida explosive deposits, are consistent with the evolved rocks resulting from fractional crystallization of a dying magma chamber, as the volcano is carried away from the hotspot.

Population monitoring is vital for conservation and management. However, simple counts of animals can be misleading and this problem is exacerbated in seals (pinnipeds) where individuals spend much time foraging away from colonies. We analyzed a 13-year-series of census data of Galapagos sea lions (Zalophus wollebaeki) from the colony of Caamaño, an islet in the center of the Galapagos archipelago where a large proportion of animals was individually marked. Based on regular resighting efforts during the cold, reproductive (cold-R; August to January) and the warm, non-reproductive (warm-nR; February to May) season, we document changes in numbers for different sex and age classes. During the cold-R season the number of adults increased as the number of newborn pups increased. Numbers were larger in the morning and evening than around mid-day and not significantly influenced by tide levels. More adults frequented the colony during the warm-nR season than the cold-R season. Raw counts suggested a decline in numbers over the 13 years, but Lincoln-Petersen (LP-) estimates (assuming a closed population) did not support that conclusion. Raw counts and LP estimates were not significantly correlated, demonstrating the overwhelming importance of variability in attendance patterns of individuals. The probability of observing a given adult in the colony varied between 16% (mean for cold-R season) and 23% (warm-nR season) and may be much less for independent 2 to 4 year olds. Dependent juveniles (up to the age of about 2 years) are observed much more frequently ashore (35% during the cold-R and 50% during the warm-nR seasons). Simple counts underestimate real population size by a factor of 4–6 and may lead to erroneous conclusions about trends in population size. PMID:27148735

Abstract The Cuatro Ciénegas Basin (CCB) has been identified as a center of endemism for many life-forms. Nearly half the bacterial species found in the spring systems have their closest relatives in the ocean. This raises the question of whether the high diversity observed today is the product of an adaptive radiation similar to that of the Galapagos Islands or whether the bacterial groups are “survivors” of an ancient sea, which would be of interest for astrobiology. To help answer this question, we focused on Firmicutes from Cuatro Ciénegas (mainly Bacillus and Exiguobacterium). We reconstructed the phylogenetic relationships of Firmicutes with 28 housekeeping genes and dated the resulting tree using geological events as calibration points. Our results show that marine Bacillus diverged from other Bacillus strains 838 Ma, while Bacillus from Cuatro Ciénegas have divergence dates that range from 770 to 202 Ma. The members of Exiguobacterium from the CCB conform to a much younger group that diverged from the Andes strain 60 Ma and from the one in Yellowstone 183 Ma. Therefore, the diversity of Firmicutes in Cuatro Ciénegas is not the product of a recent radiation but the product of the isolation of lineages from an ancient ocean. Hence, Cuatro Ciénegas is not a Galapagos Archipelago for bacteria but is more like an astrobiological “time machine” in which bacterial lineages survived in an oligotrophic environment that may be very similar to that of the Precambrian. Key Words: Firmicutes—Cuatro Ciénegas—Precambrian—Molecular dating—Western Interior Seaway. Astrobiology 12, 674–684. PMID:22920517

New geochemical analyses of volcanic rocks in El Salvador add to existing data from Nicaragua and Costa Rica to create a comprehensive set of geochemical data for Central American volcanics. These data coupled with previously published 40Ar/39Ar ages covering the past 30 Ma show that Costa Rica and Nicaragua had similar U/Th and Ba/La values until 10 Ma when the region developed the distinctive along arc variations that made this margin famous. U/Th values increased in Nicaragua since the Miocene, while remaining unchanged along the rest of the volcanic front. This coincides temporally with the Carbonate Crash, which caused a transition in Cocos plate sediments from low-U carbonates to high-U, organic rich hemipelagic muds. Increases in uranium are not observed in Costa Rica because its lower slab dip produces a more diffuse zone of partial melting and because of the contribution from Galapagos-derived tracks dilutes this signal. Ba/La has been used as a geochemical proxy for contributions from the subducting slab; however, our analyses indicate that the Ba concentrations do not vary significantly along strike either in the subducting sediment or the volcanic front. Along-arc variation is controlled by changes in La, an indicator of the degree of partial melting or source enrichment. Trace element models of five segments of the volcanic front suggest that a subducting sediment component is more important to magmas produced in El Salvador and Nicaragua than in Costa Rica, where the geochemistry is controlled by recent (<10 Ma) recycling of Galapagos tracks.

Geological modelling and dynamic flow simulations were conducted at the Ketzin pilot site showing a good agreement of history matched geological models with CO2 arrival times in both observation wells and timely development of reservoir pressure determined in the injection well. Recently, a re-evaluation of the seismic 3D data enabled a refinement of the structural site model and the implementation of the fault system present at the top of the Ketzin anticline. The updated geological model (model size: 5 km x 5 km) shows a horizontal discretization of 5 x 5 m and consists of three vertical zones, with the finest discretization at the top (0.5 m). According to the revised seismic analysis, the facies modelling to simulate the channel and floodplain facies distribution at Ketzin was updated. Using a sequential Gaussian simulator for the distribution of total and effective porosities and an empiric porosity-permeability relationship based on site and literature data available, the structural model was parameterized. Based on this revised reservoir model of the Stuttgart formation, numerical simulations using the TOUGH2-MP/ECO2N and Schlumberger Information Services (SIS) ECLIPSE 100 black-oil simulators were undertaken in order to evaluate the long-term (up to 10,000 years) migration of the injected CO2 (about 57,000 t at the end of 2011) and the development of reservoir pressure over time. The simulation results enabled us to quantitatively compare both reservoir simulators based on current operational data considering the long-term effects of CO2 storage including CO2 dissolution in the formation fluid. While the integration of the static geological model developed in the SIS Petrel modelling package into the ECLIPSE simulator is relatively flawless, a work-flow allowing for the export of Petrel models into the TOUGH2-MP input file format had to be implemented within the scope of this study. The challenge in this task was mainly determined by the presence of a

The geological storage of CO2 in deep saline aquifers is seen as a promising measure for reducing anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. However, generally large-scale pressure build-up as a result of CO2 injection may impact the mechanical behaviour of reservoir, caprock and existing faults. Caprock fracturing, ground uplift, reactivation of faults or induced seismicity are inherent risks that may pose potential health, security and environmental hazards. Within the frame of the present study we investigated the geomechanical response of a deep saline aquifer and the surrounding rocks to CO2 storage at a prospective German CO2 storage site by coupled hydromechanical simulations. Changes in the initial stress field due to pressure build-up as a result of CO2 injection allow assessment of potential fault reactivation and magnitude of ground uplift. For this purpose, a 3D geological structural model covering an area of about 100 km x 100 km in the southeastern part of the State of Brandenburg was implemented. In a first step, stratigraphic contour lines and major fault lines were digitised based on the GeotIS online cartography of the Northeast German Basin as well as geological maps of the German State of Brandenburg, using the Petrel software package [1-3]. The 3D regional-scale model comprises several stratigraphic units down to the Zechstein. Afterwards, a stratigraphic correlation, depth adjustment and thickness correction of the different units were performed based on existing borehole data from the study area. Borehole and literature data were further used for model parameterisation. Subsequently, the model was gridded in Petrel and transferred into the reservoir simulator TOUGH2-MP to perform large-scale numerical multi-phase multi-component (CO2, NaCl, H2O) flow simulations. Furthermore, the gridded model was applied in the geomechanical simulator FLAC3D to identify changes in the recent stress field and deformation resulting from the

Temporal, spatial, and interspecific trends in polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants were determined in eggs of marine and freshwater bird species from the province of British Columbia, Canada. Temporal trends in the Fraser River estuary, 1983-2002, were examined by analysis of eggs of great blue herons (Ardea herodias) and from the Strait of Georgia marine ecosystem, 1979-2002, in eggs of double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus). Results were compared to those from eggs of the osprey (Pandion haliaetus) taken along the lower Fraser River and along the Columbia River near Castlegar, British Columbia, and of a pelagic seabird, the Leach's storm-petrel (Oceanodroma leucorhoa), collected at a colony on the Queen Charlotte Islands. Mean concentration of sigmaPBDE, 455 microg/kg w.w., were highest in heron eggs collected in 2002 from the Fraser estuary. Concentrations in eggs of cormorants and ospreys taken from sites of varying urban influence tended to be about half that value. Leach's storm petrel eggs had only trace amounts of sigmaPBDE (3.38 microg/kg), despite having similar concentrations of PCBs and organochlorine pesticides to the other species. PBDEs increased exponentially with a doubling time of 5.7 years in eggs of both herons and cormorants. Over this period of increasing PBDEs, major chlorinated hydrocarbons, such as PCBs and DDE, were stable or decreased. The PBDE pattern was relatively consistent in most years and sites, with BDEs 47 > 100 > 99 > 153 > 154 > 28 > 183. This was interpreted as evidence of technical pentaBDE formulations as primary sources of the contamination, with the octaBDE formulations as secondary. Higher resolution analysis of a subsample of the eggs revealed the presence of up to nine other congeners, including BDE209 (range: 0.9-1.8 microg/kg), indicating exposure and uptake of decaBDE sourced congeners in North American foodchains. At some locations, concentrations of pentabrominated congeners and

The foraging behaviour of Adélie penguins Pygoscelis adeliae was studied simultaneously at Shirley Island (SI, 110°E) and at Petrel Island (PI, 140°E) in approximate conjunction with the ship-based krill survey conducted on board the RSV Aurora Australis. Acoustic and trawl data were collected near both study sites, albeit at the end of the penguins' breeding season. The distances travelled by Adélie penguins from Shirley Island were significantly greater than those travelled by penguins from Petrel Island (SI 31-144 km; PI 6-79 km). Mean foraging trip durations and mean maximal distances travelled were also significantly different between colonies (duration: SI guard 55±32 h, crèche 113±17 h; PI guard 32±9 h, crèche 25±7 h; distance: SI guard 182±135 km, crèche 353±93 km; PI guard 100±42 km, crèche 86±28 km). All penguins foraged over the continental shelf or the shelf break and not in oceanic waters. The percentage distribution of dive depths was similar at both colonies; nearly 70% of all dives were to <35 m. Trawls from the ship contained krill Euphausia superba and E. crystallorophias near SI but only E. superba near PI. Biomass measurements showed that near SI 61% of krill biomass occurred at 63-97 m but the penguins dived to this depth range only 12% of their time; near PI 83% of the biomass was found from 43 to 63 m and 20% of dives reached these depths. The diet of the SI penguins consisted mainly of E. crystallorophias (51-53% by mass), while penguins from PI ingested large amounts of both euphausiids (27-38% E. superba, 22-39% E. crystallorophias). At SI, the remainder of the diet consisted of fish, mainly Pleuragramma antarcticum (26-30%), and amphipods (<1%). Similarly, at PI, fish contributed 19-37% to the penguins' diet and amphipods constituted 1-3%.

The unhatched eggs of the following seabirds were analyzed to quantify PCBs, hexachlorobenzene (HCB), α-, β-, γ-, δ-hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), o,p' and p,p' isomers of DDT, DDD and DDE: resident Adèlie (Pygoscelis adèliae, ADPE) and Emperor (Aptenodytes forsteri, EMPE) penguins, migrating snow petrel (Pagodroma nivea, SNPT) and South Polar skua (Catharacta maccormicki, SPSK) from the Ross Sea (East Antarctica); and migrating Brown skua (Catharacta antartica, BRSK) and resident ADPE from the Brainsfield Strait (West Antarctica). The general aims were to evaluate the contaminant accumulation in eggs of migrating and resident species in the two study areas, and to compare levels in penguins and skuas nesting in East and West Antarctica. PCB congener and HCH and DDT isomer profiles were also assessed. Comparisons were evaluated using seven PCB congeners (IUPAC nos. 28, 52, 101, 118+149, 138, 153, and 180), p,p'-DDE, ΣDDTs, and ΣHCHs. Higher contaminant concentrations were detected in migrating seabirds (South polar skua and brown skua)>sub-Antarctic species (snow petrel)>Antarctic species (penguins) from both the sampling sites, suggesting contamination events at lower latitudes for those birds migrating northward. HCHs showed the lowest concentrations in all species (from 0.03±0.03 ng/g wet wt in SPSK to 1.81±1.23 ng/g wet wt in ADPE from West Antarctica), and PCBs were the most abundant contaminants (from 4.34±2.15 ng/g wet wt. in EMPE to 53.41±19.61 ng/g wet wt. in brown skua). Among pesticides, it is relevant the detection of p,p'-DDT in Adèlie penguin from West Antarctica and in both species of skua; the detection of this pesticide can confirm its actual use in certain malaria-endemic countries from where it is transferred through the long range transport to the polar regions. Contaminants did not show any significant temporal trend during a ten year time span, from 1994/95 to 2004/05, in organisms collected in East Antarctica and they did not

The combination of positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a multi-modal imaging technique is considered very promising and powerful with regard to in vivo disease progression examination, therapy response monitoring and drug development. However, PET–MRI system design enabling simultaneous operation with unaffected intrinsic performance of both modalities is challenging. As one of the major issues, both the PET detectors and the MRI radio-frequency (RF) subsystem are exposed to electromagnetic (EM) interference, which may lead to PET and MRI signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) deteriorations. Early digitization of electronic PET signals within the MRI bore helps to preserve PET SNR, but occurs at the expense of increased amount of PET electronics inside the MRI and associated RF field emissions. This raises the likelihood of PET-related MRI interference by coupling into the MRI RF coil unwanted spurious signals considered as RF noise, as it degrades MRI SNR and results in MR image artefacts. RF shielding of PET detectors is a commonly used technique to reduce PET-related RF interferences, but can introduce eddy-current-related MRI disturbances and hinder the highest system integration. In this paper, we present RF interference reduction methods which rely on EM field coupling–decoupling principles of RF receive coils rather than suppressing emitted fields. By modifying clock frequencies and changing clock phase relations of digital circuits, the resulting RF field emission is optimised with regard to a lower field coupling into the MRI RF coil, thereby increasing the RF silence of PET detectors. Our methods are demonstrated by performing FPGA-based clock frequency and phase shifting of digital silicon photo-multipliers (dSiPMs) used in the PET modules of our MR-compatible Hyperion II D PET insert. We present simulations and magnetic-field map scans visualising the impact of altered clock phase pattern on the spatial RF field

The combination of positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a multi-modal imaging technique is considered very promising and powerful with regard to in vivo disease progression examination, therapy response monitoring and drug development. However, PET-MRI system design enabling simultaneous operation with unaffected intrinsic performance of both modalities is challenging. As one of the major issues, both the PET detectors and the MRI radio-frequency (RF) subsystem are exposed to electromagnetic (EM) interference, which may lead to PET and MRI signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) deteriorations. Early digitization of electronic PET signals within the MRI bore helps to preserve PET SNR, but occurs at the expense of increased amount of PET electronics inside the MRI and associated RF field emissions. This raises the likelihood of PET-related MRI interference by coupling into the MRI RF coil unwanted spurious signals considered as RF noise, as it degrades MRI SNR and results in MR image artefacts. RF shielding of PET detectors is a commonly used technique to reduce PET-related RF interferences, but can introduce eddy-current-related MRI disturbances and hinder the highest system integration. In this paper, we present RF interference reduction methods which rely on EM field coupling-decoupling principles of RF receive coils rather than suppressing emitted fields. By modifying clock frequencies and changing clock phase relations of digital circuits, the resulting RF field emission is optimised with regard to a lower field coupling into the MRI RF coil, thereby increasing the RF silence of PET detectors. Our methods are demonstrated by performing FPGA-based clock frequency and phase shifting of digital silicon photo-multipliers (dSiPMs) used in the PET modules of our MR-compatible Hyperion II (D) PET insert. We present simulations and magnetic-field map scans visualising the impact of altered clock phase pattern on the spatial RF field

then used TOUGH + Hydrate to simulate the observed gas production and reservoir pressure field data at Messoyakha. We simulated various scenarios that help to explain the field behavior. We have evaluated the effect of reservoir parameters on gas recovery from hydrates. Our work should be beneficial to others who are investigating how to produce gas from a hydrate capped gas reservoir. The results also can be used to better evaluate the process of producing gas from offshore hydrates. The Schlumberger PETREL model is used in industry to the description of geologic horizons and the special distribution of properties. An interface between FLAC3D and Petrel was built by Schlumberger to allow for efficient data entry into TOUGH + Hydrate + FLAC3D.

The site characterization data used to develop the conceptual geologic model for the Snake River Plain site in Idaho, as part of phase 1 of the Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy (FORGE) initiative. This collection includes data on seismic events, groundwater, geomechanical models, gravity surveys, magnetics, resistivity, magnetotellurics (MT), rock physics, stress, the geologic setting, and supporting documentation, including several papers. Also included are 3D models (Petrel and Jewelsuite) of the proposed site. Data for wells INEL-1, WO-2, and USGS-142 have been included as links to separate data collections. These data have been assembled by the Snake River Geothermal Consortium (SRGC), a team of collaborators that includes members from national laboratories, universities, industry, and federal agencies, lead by the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). Other contributors include the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), the Center for Advanced Energy Studies (CEAS), the University of Idaho, Idaho State University, Boise State University, University of Wyoming, University of Oklahoma, Energy and Geoscience Institute-University of Utah, US Geothermal, Baker Hughes Campbell Scientific Inc., Chena Power, US Geological Survey (USGS), Idaho Department of Water Resources, Idaho Geological Survey, and Mink GeoHydro.

Organochlorine contaminants were measured in eggs of three seabird species from 1968 to 1992 to monitor marine environmental quality and assess possible implications for seabird health. Eggs were collected at four-year intervals from eastern Canadian colonies of double-crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus), Leach`s storm-petrel (Oceanodroma leucorhoa) and Atlantic puffin (Fratercula arctica). DDE and PCB levels have decreased in all species at all colonies since 1972. DDE and PCB levels were higher in the Bay of Fundy and St. Lawrence estuary than off Newfoundland, and were highest in cormorants and lowest in puffins. Hexachlorobenzene levels, in contrast, have not declined steadily since 1972, and are highest in puffins and lowest in cormorants. Temporal, geographic and interspecific trends will be presented for other organochlorines including dieldrin, oxychlordane, hexachlorocyclohexane and mirex. Contaminant patterns and trends will be interpreted, considering the historical use of the contaminants and their fate, the seabirds` foraging habits, and the proximity of colonies to different sources. Implications for seabird health and marine environmental quality will be discussed.

Influenza A viruses infect a wide range of hosts, including many species of birds. Avian influenza A virus (AIV) infection appears to be most common in Anseriformes (ducks, geese, and swans) and some Charadriiformes (shorebirds and gulls), but many other birds also serve as hosts of AIV. Here, we evaluated the role of seabirds as hosts for AIV. We tested 3,160 swab samples from 13 seabird species between May 2008 and December 2011 in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. We also tested 156 serum samples for evidence of previous infection of AIV in Common Murres (Uria aalge) and Atlantic Puffins (Fratercula arctica). Avian influenza A virus was detected in breeding Common Murres and nonbreeding Thick-billed Murres (Uria lomvia), and Common Murres also had high antibody prevalence (44%). From these findings, combined with other studies showing AIV infection in murres, we conclude that murres are important for the ecology of AIV. For other species (Razorbill, Alca torda; Leach's Storm-Petrel, Oceanodroma leucorhoa; Black-legged Kittiwake, Rissa tridactyla; Atlantic Puffin) with good coverage (>100 samples) we did not detect AIV. However, serology indicates infection does occur in Atlantic Puffins, with 22% antibody prevalence found. The possibility of virus spread through dense breeding colonies and the long distance movements of these hosts make a more thorough evaluation of the role for seabirds as hosts of AIV important. PMID:24171570

Birds are anosmic or at best microsmatic… This misbelief persisted until very recently and has strongly influenced the outcome of communication studies in birds, with olfaction remaining neglected as compared to acoustic and visual channels. However, there is now clear empirical evidence showing that olfaction is perfectly functional in birds and birds use olfactory information in a variety of ethological contexts. Although the existence of pheromones has never been formally demonstrated in this vertebrate class, different groups of birds, such as petrels, auklets and ducks have been shown to produce specific scents that could play a significant role in within-species social interactions. Behavioral experiments have indeed demonstrated that these odors influence the behavior of conspecifics. Additionally, in quail, deprivation of olfactory inputs decreases neuronal activation induced by sexual interactions with a female. It seems therefore well established that birds enjoy a functional sense of smell and a fast growing body of experimental evidence suggests that they use this channel of olfactory communication to control their social life. The unequivocal identification of an avian pheromone is, however, still ahead of us but there are now many exciting opportunities to unravel the behavioral and physiological particularities of chemical communication in birds. PMID:20490809

The incidental capture in fisheries is probably the main conservation problem affecting seabirds. While the capture of albatrosses and petrels on longline hooks is well-known worldwide, the bycatch of diving seabirds in gillnets is an overlooked conservation problem. During a winter coastal fishing trip, the capture of Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) was recorded in driftnet and bottom setnet fisheries for the first time in southern Brazil. The highest captures rates were found in driftnets, from 146.5 to 545.5 penguins/km² of net and a total of 56 dead penguins were recorded. In the bottom gillnet, a total of 12 birds were killed and the capture rates varied from 41.7 to 125.0 penguins/km² of net. Although preliminary, the results presented in this paper were consistent between sets. If we consider the magnitude of driftnet and setnet fishing fleets, and that most dead penguins were adults, the impact upon Magellanic penguin populations is probably significant. PMID:21376348

Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing is prevalent globally and has detrimental effects on commercial fish stocks and nontarget species. Effective monitoring and enforcement aimed at reducing the level of IUU fishing in extensive, remote ocean fisheries requires international collaboration. Changes in trade and vessel activities further complicate enforcement. We used a web-based survey of governmental and nongovernmental organizations engaged in reducing IUU fishing in the Southern Ocean to collect information on interorganizational collaborations. We used social-network analyses to examine the nature of collaborations among the identified 117 organizations engaged in reducing IUU fishing. International collaboration improved the ability to control and manage harvest of commercially important toothfish (Dissostichus spp.) stocks and reduced bycatch of albatrosses (Diomedeidae) and petrels (Procellariidae) in longlines of IUU fishing vessels. The diverse group of surveyed organizations cooperated frequently, thereby making a wide range of resources available for improved detection of suspected IUU vessels and trade flows, cooperation aimed at prosecuting suspected offenders or developing new policy measures. Our results suggest the importance of a central agency for coordination and for maintaining commonly agreed-upon protocols for communication that facilities collaboration. Despite their differences, the surveyed organizations have developed common perceptions about key problems associated with IUU fishing. This has likely contributed to a sustained willingness to invest in collaborations. Our results show that successful international environmental governance can be accomplished through interorganizational collaborations. Such cooperation requires trust, continuous funding, and incentives for actors to participate. PMID:22624623

The evolutionary origins of foraging behaviour by procellariiform seabirds (petrels, albatrosses and shearwaters) are poorly understood. Moreover, proximate factors affecting foraging ecology, such as the influence of environment on the development of sensory systems, have yet to be addressed. Here, we apply comparative methods based on current procellariiform phylogenies to identify associations between sensory modalities and the developmental environment that may underlie the evolution of complex foraging behaviour. We postulate that, for burrow-nesting species, smell is likely to dominate the sensory world of the developing chick. Alternatively, for ground-nesting species, chicks receive exposure to a range of visual, auditory and olfactory cues. We employ maximum likelihood to test models of correlated trait evolution between nesting habit and olfactory foraging style and to reconstruct the ancestral states of these characters when coded as binary states. Our results suggest that nesting behaviour has evolved in conjunction with foraging style. Based on this analysis, we propose that nesting on the surface was a life-history innovation that opened up a new developmental environment with profound effects on the foraging ecology of procellariiform seabirds. PMID:18021198

Florida's climate is suitable for many potentially hazardous animals, including both indigenous and exotic species, which are frequently kept as in zoos or as pets. This has resulted in many unforeseen fatal encounters between animals and the ever expanding human population. While the literature and knowledge pool for more common types of deaths referred to medical examiner/coroner's offices is abundant, the appreciation of wildlife and exotic pet-related deaths is far less widespread. We report seven animal attack-related deaths that occurred in Florida. The inflicted injuries included blunt and sharp force injuries, asphyxia, drowning, and envenomation. The underlying cause of death, however, was always a result of the human/animal interaction and in many cases related to human error and failure to appreciate the potentially dangerous behavior of nondomesticated species. These cases illustrate the varied circumstances and pathophysiologies associated with deaths due to indigenous and exotic species and the importance of the multidisciplinary approach in the medicolegal investigation of these cases. PMID:23980567

We investigated prey consumption by marine birds and their contribution to cross-shelf fluxes in the northern Gulf of Alaska. We utilized data from the North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database for modeling energy demand and prey consumption. We found that prey consumption by marine birds was much greater over the continental shelf than it was over the basin. Over the shelf, subsurface-foraging marine birds dominated food consumption, whereas over the basin, surface-foraging birds took the most prey biomass. Daily consumption by marine birds during the non-breeding season ("winter") from September through April was greater than daily consumption during the breeding season, between May and August. Over the shelf, shearwaters, murres and, in winter, sea ducks, were the most important consumers. Over the basin, northern fulmars, gulls and kittiwakes predominated in winter and storm-petrels dominated in May to August. Our results suggest that marine birds contribute little to cross-shelf fluxes of energy or matter, but they do remove energy from the marine system through consumption, respiration and migration. ?? 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The direct observation of 2.2-Hz oscillations in the intensities of 4-25 keV electrons producing a pulsating aurora is reported. Electrons were measured by a Petrel sounding rocket launched from Kiruna, Sweden in conjunction with measurements made by the geomagnetically conjugate GEOS 2 satellite. Measured precipitated energy flux variations only amounted to 3% of the energy flux at pulsation maximum, and thus do not permit the confirmation of particle modulations as the source of optical brightness modulations. The oscillations, like the previously observed 1-20 sec pulsations, are found to exhibit a marked velocity dispersion, implying an equatorial origin for both forms of modulation. A comparison of the rocket results with GEOS 2 measurements indicates VLF hiss emissions to be modulated at a frequency close to that of electron intensity oscillations, however isotropic angular distributions observed suggest that low-frequency micropulsations cannot cause auroral pulsations by modulating whistler-mode wave amplitudes which induce variations in the rate of pitch-angle scattering of electrons from the magnetosphere.

While many surface foraging seabirds ingest plastic, the spatial overlap of these far-ranging predators with debris aggregations at-sea is poorly understood. We surveyed concurrent distributions of marine birds and debris along a 4400 km cruise track within a debris accumulation area in the North East Pacific Ocean using line and strip transect methods. Analysis of debris and bird distributions revealed associations with oceanographic and weather variables at two spatial scales: daily surveys and hourly transects. Hourly bird abundance (densities; 0-9 birds km(-2)) was higher in lower wind and shallower water. Hourly debris abundance (densities; 0-15,222 pieces km(-2)) was higher in lower wind, higher sea-level atmospheric pressure and deeper water. These results suggest that debris and seabird abundance and community structure are influenced by similar environmental processes, but in opposing ways, with only three far-ranging seabird species (Black-footed Albatross, Cook's Petrel and Red-tailed Tropicbird) overlapping with high debris concentrations over meso-scales. PMID:21889172

Despite the enormous amount of data available on the importance of gut microbiota in vertebrates (especially mammals), there is no information available on the microbiota of seabirds. Procellariiformes are long-lived seabirds that consume a diet high in lipids and are characterised by their ability to produce and store large amount of stomach oils through the partial digestion of prey (with the exception of the Pelecanoididae). Examining the faecal microbiota of three Procellariiform species (short-tailed shearwater, common diving petrel and fairy prion) provided a unique opportunity to not only characterise the gastrointestinal (GI) microbial composition of seabirds but to also examine the influence of stomach oils on the microbial community. The results indicated that Procellariiform seabirds host a highly diverse community of faecal microorganisms, dominated by three phyla (Firmicutes, Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes) and that each species has its own species-specific GI microbiota. In addition, significant differences were observed in the microbial communities of oil-producing and non-oil-producing seabirds. This study is the first whole-community examination and classification of the faecal microbiota of Procellariiform seabirds. PMID:24684257

Seabird surveys in January - March 2006 of a poorly known area of the Southern Ocean adjacent to the East Antarctic coast identified six seabird communities, several of which were comparable to seabird communities identified both in adjacent sectors of the Antarctic, and elsewhere in the Southern Ocean. These results support previous proposals that the Southern Ocean seabird community is characterised by an ice-associated assemblage and an open-water assemblage, with the species composition of the assemblages reflecting local (Antarctic-resident) breeding species, and the migratory routes and feeding areas of distant-breeding taxa, respectively. Physical environmental covariates such as sea-ice cover, distance to continental shelf and time of year influenced the distribution and abundance of seabirds observed, but the roles of these factors in the observed spatial and temporal patterns in seabird assemblages was confounded by the duration of the survey. Occurrence of a number of seabird taxa exhibited significant correlations with krill densities at one or two spatial scales, but only three taxa (Arctic tern, snow petrel and dark shearwaters, i.e. sooty and short-tailed shearwaters) showed significant correlations at a range of spatial scales. Dark shearwater abundances showed correlations with krill densities across the range of spatial scales examined.

In order to cost-effectively facilitate mid-scale serial and parallel computations and code development, a number of commodity-based clusters have been built at PPPL. A recent addition is the PETREL cluster, consisting of 100 dual-processor machines, both Intel and AMD, interconnected by a 100Mbit switch. Sixteen machines have an additional Myrinet 2000 interconnect. Also underway is the implementation of a Prototype Topical Computing Facility which will explore the effectiveness and scaling of cluster computing for larger scale fusion codes, specifically including those being developed under the SCIDAC auspices. This facility will consist of two parts: a 64 dual-processor node cluster, with high speed interconnect, and a 16 dual-processor node cluster, utilizing gigabit networking, built for the purpose of exploring grid-enabled computing. The initial grid explorations will be in collaboration with the Princeton University Institute for Computational Science and Engineering (PICSciE), where a 16 processor cluster dedicated to investigation of grid computing is being built. The initial objectives are to (1) grid-enable the GTC code and an MHD code, making use of MPICH-G2 and (2) implement grid-enabled interactive visualization using DXMPI and the Chromium API.

Although the reproductive success of most organisms depends on factors acting at several spatial scales, little is known about how organisms are able to synthesize multi-scale information to optimize reproduction. Using longitudinal data from a long-lived seabird, Monteiro's storm-petrel, we show that average breeding success is strongly related to oceanic conditions at the population level, and we postulate that (i) individuals use proximal information (their own reproduction outcome in year t) to assess the qualities of their mate and nest and to decide to retain them or not in year t + 1; (ii) the intensity of these responses depends on the quality of the oceanic environment in year t, which affects the predictability of reproduction outcome in year t + 1. Our results confirm that mate and nest fidelities are higher following successful reproduction and that the relationship between the success of a given pair and subsequent nest fidelity is stronger in years with unfavourable oceanic conditions, suggesting that individuals rely on distant information to modulate their use of proximal information and adjust their breeding strategy. PMID:25209940

PETREL, a winged hybrid-driven underwater glider is a novel and practical marine survey platform which combines the features of legacy underwater glider and conventional AUV (autonomous underwater vehicle). It can be treated as a multi-rigid-body system with a floating base and a particular hydrodynamic profile. In this paper, theorems on linear and angular momentum are used to establish the dynamic equations of motion of each rigid body and the effect of translational and rotational motion of internal masses on the attitude control are taken into consideration. In addition, due to the unique external shape with fixed wings and deflectable rudders and the dual-drive operation in thrust and glide modes, the approaches of building dynamic model of conventional AUV and hydrodynamic model of submarine are introduced, and the tailored dynamic equations of the hybrid glider are formulated. Moreover, the behaviors of motion in glide and thrust operation are analyzed based on the simulation and the feasibility of the dynamic model is validated by data from lake field trials.

Light pollution and its consequences on ecosystems are increasing worldwide. Knowledge on the threshold levels of light pollution at which significant ecological impacts emerge and the size of dark refuges to maintain natural nocturnal processes is crucial to mitigate its negative consequences. Seabird fledglings are attracted by artificial lights when they leave their nest at night, causing high mortality. We used GPS data-loggers to track the flights of Cory's shearwater Calonectris diomedea fledglings from nest-burrows to ground, and to evaluate the light pollution levels of overflown areas on Tenerife, Canary Islands, using nocturnal, high-resolution satellite imagery. Birds were grounded at locations closer than 16 km from colonies in their maiden flights, and 50% were rescued within a 3 km radius from the nest-site. Most birds left the nests in the first three hours after sunset. Rescue locations showed radiance values greater than colonies, and flight distance was positively related to light pollution levels. Breeding habitat alteration by light pollution was more severe for inland colonies. We provide scientific-based information to manage dark refuges facilitating that fledglings from inland colonies reach the sea successfully. We also offer methodological approaches useful for other critically threatened petrel species grounded by light pollution. PMID:26035530

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD) are bioaccumulative flame retardants. PBDEs increased in many ecosystems during the late 20th century, but recently have declined in some environments. To examine trends in the northern Pacific, we analysed PBDEs, HBCDD and carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes (δ13C and δ15N) to account for dietary effects in archived eggs of three seabird species from British Columbia, Canada, 1990-2011 (rhinoceros auklets, Cerorhinca monocerata; Leach's storm-petrels, Oceanodroma leucorhoa; ancient murrelets, Synthliboramphus antiquus, 2009 only). PBDEs increased until approximately 2000 and then decreased, while HBCDD increased exponentially throughout the examined period. No significant changes in dietary tracers were observed. HBCDD and ΣPBDE levels varied among species; ΣPBDE also varied among sites. Temporal changes in contaminant concentrations are unlikely to have been caused by dietary changes, and likely reflect the build-up followed by decreases associated with voluntary phase-outs and regulations implemented in North America to control PBDEs. PMID:25194271

Among vertebrates, the sense of smell is mediated by olfactory receptors (ORs) expressed in sensory neurons within the olfactory epithelium. Comparative genomic studies suggest that the olfactory acuity of mammalian species correlates positively with both the total number and the proportion of functional OR genes encoded in their genomes. In contrast to mammals, avian olfaction is poorly understood, with birds widely regarded as relying primarily on visual and auditory inputs. Here, we show that in nine bird species from seven orders (blue tit, Cyanistes caeruleus; black coucal, Centropus grillii; brown kiwi, Apteryx australis; canary, Serinus canaria; galah, Eolophus roseicapillus; red jungle fowl, Gallus gallus; kakapo, Strigops habroptilus; mallard, Anas platyrhynchos; snow petrel, Pagodroma nivea), the majority of amplified OR sequences are predicted to be from potentially functional genes. This finding is somewhat surprising as one previous report suggested that the majority of OR genes in an avian (red jungle fowl) genomic sequence are non-functional pseudogenes. We also show that it is not the estimated proportion of potentially functional OR genes, but rather the estimated total number of OR genes that correlates positively with relative olfactory bulb size, an anatomical correlate of olfactory capability. We further demonstrate that all the nine bird genomes examined encode OR genes belonging to a large gene clade, termed gamma-c, the expansion of which appears to be a shared characteristic of class Aves. In summary, our findings suggest that olfaction in birds may be a more important sense than generally believed. PMID:18628122

Environmental variability, costs of reproduction, and heterogeneity in individual quality are three important sources of the temporal and interindividual variations in vital rates of wild populations. Based on an 18-year monitoring of an endangered, recently described, long-lived seabird, Monteiro's Storm-Petrel (Oceanodroma monteiroi), we designed multistate survival models to separate the effects of the reproductive cost (breeders vs. nonbreeders) and individual quality (successful vs. unsuccessful breeders) in relation to temporally variable demographic and oceanographic properties. The analysis revealed a gradient of individual quality from nonbreeders, to unsuccessful breeders, to successful breeders. The survival rates of unsuccessful breeders (0.90 +/- 0.023, mean +/- SE) tended to decrease in years of high average breeding success and were more sensitive to oceanographic variation than those of both (high-quality) successful breeders (0.97 +/- 0.015) and (low-quality) nonbreeders (0.83 +/- 0.028). Overall, our results indicate that reproductive costs act on individuals of intermediate quality and are mediated by environmental harshness. PMID:22928422

Positive covariations between survival and reproductive performance (S-R covariation) are generally interpreted in the context of fixed or dynamic demographic heterogeneity (i.e. persistent differences between individuals, or dynamic variation in resource acquisition), but the processes underlying covariations are still unknown. We used multi-event modelling to investigate how environmental and individual features influence S-R covariation patterns in a long-lived seabird, the Monteiro's storm petrel (Oceanodroma monteiroi). Our analysis reveals that a strong positive association between individual breeding success and subsequent survival occurs only when conditions are favourable to reproduction (in favourable years, in high-quality nests and in nest-faithful breeders). This finding reflects differences in the main causes of breeding failure and mortality under favourable and unfavourable conditions, which in turn lead to distinct patterns of S-R covariation. We suggest, in particular, that resource-related sources of demographic heterogeneity do not generate a strong S-R covariation, in contrast with hidden and unpredictable sources of variation. PMID:26511053

The geologic and hydrogeologic characterization of the aquifers and their recharge area within the Central United States in west Tennessee, northern Mississippi and eastern Arkansas are poorly understood. Previous investigations have utilized overly generalized outcrop boundaries of the primary Tertiary aquifers based on sparse well log information and stream down-cutting to show formation location. Acquisition of data in the form of deep oil and gas wells along with shallow lignite borehole data from the North American Coal Company is enabling us to improve upon these prior formational boundaries and recharge area delineations. Additionally, utilization of those geophysical logs with numerous well log curves is allowing us to characterize each geologic unit as to the sand/clay composition, porosity, and depiction of facies changes within a three- dimensional context. This is made possible through the utilization of the oil industry standard mapping package, Petrel®. We use a combination of methods to illustrate the presence of clay bodies within the primary drinking water aquifer, historically modeled solely as a sand unit. Identification of these clay bodies will impact ground-water flow patterns and assist water utilities in reducing contamination threats. We will illustrate aquifer thickness variability owning to faulting and paleo-erosion that again may impact ground-water pathways.

High-resolution seismic-reflection data analysis is considered as important tool for mapping of active tectonic faults, since seismic exploration methods on varied scales can image subsurface structures of different depth ranges. Mapping of active faults for the offshore area of Montenegro is performed in Petrel software, using reflection database consist of 2D profiles in length of about 3.500 kilometers and 311 square kilometers of 3D seismics, acquired from 1979 to 2003. Montenegro offshore area is influenced by recent tectonic activity with numerous faults, folded faults and over trusts. Based on reflection profiles analysis, the trust fault system offshore Montenegro is reveled, parallel to the coast and extending up to 15 kilometers from the offshore line. Then, the system of normal top carbonate fault planes is mapped and characterized on the southern Adriatic, with NE trending. The tectonic interpretation of the seismic reflection profiles in Montenegro point toward the existence of principally reverse tectonic forms in the carbonate sediments, covered by young Quaternary sandy sediments of thickness 1-3 kilometers. Also, reflective seismic data indicate the active uplifting of evaporite dome on about 10 kilometers of coastline.

An integrated geologic and geophysical study of the Bakken Petroleum System, in the Williston basin of North Dakota and Montana indicates that: (1) dolomite is needed for good reservoir performance in the Middle Bakken; (2) regional and local fractures play a significant role in enhancing permeability and well production, and it is important to recognize both because local fractures will dominate in on-structure locations; and (3) the organic-rich Bakken shale serves as both a source and reservoir rock. Results from the lithofacies, mineral, and fracture analyses of this study were used to construct a dual porosity Petrel geo-model for a portion of the Elm Coulee Field. In this field, dolomitization enhances reservoir porosity and permeability. First year cumulative production helps locate areas of high well productivity and in deriving fracture swarm distribution. A fracture model was developed based on high productivity well distribution, and regional fracture distribution, and was combined with favorable matrix properties to build a dual porosity geo-model.

Introduction While blood parasites are common in many birds in the wild, some groups seem to be much less affected. Seabirds, in particular, have often been reported free from blood parasites, even in the presence of potential vectors. Results From a literature review of hemosporidian prevalence in seabirds, we collated a dataset of 60 species, in which at least 15 individuals had been examined. These data were included in phylogenetically controlled statistical analyses of hemosporidian prevalence in relation to ecological and life-history parameters. Haemoproteus parasites were common in frigatebirds and gulls, while Hepatozoon occurred in albatrosses and storm petrels, and Plasmodium mainly in penguins. The prevalence of Haemoproteus showed a geographical signal, being lower in species with distribution towards polar environments. Interspecific differences in Plasmodium prevalence were explained by variables that relate to the exposure to parasites, suggesting that prevalence is higher in burrow nesters with long fledgling periods. Measures of Plasmodium, but not Haemoproteus prevalences were influenced by the method, with PCR-based data resulting in higher prevalence estimates. Conclusions Our analyses suggest that, as in other avian taxa, phylogenetic, ecological and life-history parameters determine the prevalence of hemosporidian parasites in seabirds. We discuss how these relationships should be further explored in future studies. PMID:22035144

PET2OGS, a set of algorithms that integrate the static model (Petrel) with the dynamic model (OpenGeoSys), is applied to model CO2 storage in a saline aquifer. The Otway Basin is the first demonstration site of the deep geological storage of carbon dioxide as part of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology in Australia. During Stage 2 of the CO2CRC Otway project, CO2 was injected into a saline aquifer along the injection interval of 1435 - 1450 m in a well. Upon conversion and adaption of the geological model into the dynamic model, the simulation of CO2 injection at 159 tone/day for 5 months is carried out for a hypothetical scenario. CO2 storage in each facies are analyzed for storage capacities. The discrete nature of CO2 plume behaviors known in multiphase flow in heterogeneous media is observed in the numerical simulation of CO2 storage. Sensitivity analysis of the storage capacity with respect to facies, porosity, and permeability is provided.

Long-term studies have documented that climate fluctuations affect the dynamics of populations, but the relative influence of stochastic and density-dependent processes is still poorly understood and debated. Most studies have been conducted on terrestrial systems, and lacking are studies on marine systems explicitly integrating the fact that most populations live in seasonal environments and respond to regular or systematic environmental changes. We separated winter from summer mortality in a seabird population, the blue petrel Halobaena caerulea, in the southern Indian Ocean where the El Niño/Southern Oscillation effects occur with a 3-4-year lag. Seventy per cent of the mortality occurred in winter and was linked to climatic factors, being lower during anomalous warm events. The strength of density dependence was affected by climate, with population crashes occurring when poor conditions occurred at high densities. We found that an exceptionally long-lasting warming caused a ca. 40% decline of the population, suggesting that chronic climate change will strongly affect this top predator. These findings demonstrate that populations in marine systems are particularly susceptible to climate variation through complex interactions between seasonal mortality and density-dependent effects. PMID:14561273

Seabirds aggregate around oil drilling platforms and rigs in above average numbers due to night lighting, flaring, food and other visual cues. Bird mortality has been documented due to impact on the structure, oiling and incineration by the flare. The environmental circumstances for offshore hydrocarbon development in North-west Atlantic are unique because of the harsh climate, cold waters and because enormous seabird concentrations inhabit and move through the Grand Banks in autumn (storm-petrels, Oceanodroma spp), winter (dovekies, Alle alle, murres, Uria spp), spring and summer (shearwaters, Puffinus spp). Many species are planktivorous and attracted to artificial light sources. Most of the seabirds in the region are long-distance migrants, and hydrocarbon development in the North-west Atlantic could affect both regional and global breeding populations. Regulators need to take responsibility for these circumstances. It is essential to implement comprehensive, independent arm's length monitoring of potential avian impacts of offshore hydrocarbon platforms in the North-west Atlantic. This should include quantifying and determining the nature, timing and extent of bird mortality caused by these structures. Based on existing evidence of potential impacts of offshore hydrocarbon platforms on seabirds, it is difficult to understand why this has not been, and is not being, systematically implemented. PMID:11827114

Although the reproductive success of most organisms depends on factors acting at several spatial scales, little is known about how organisms are able to synthesize multi-scale information to optimize reproduction. Using longitudinal data from a long-lived seabird, Monteiro's storm-petrel, we show that average breeding success is strongly related to oceanic conditions at the population level, and we postulate that (i) individuals use proximal information (their own reproduction outcome in year t) to assess the qualities of their mate and nest and to decide to retain them or not in year t + 1; (ii) the intensity of these responses depends on the quality of the oceanic environment in year t, which affects the predictability of reproduction outcome in year t + 1. Our results confirm that mate and nest fidelities are higher following successful reproduction and that the relationship between the success of a given pair and subsequent nest fidelity is stronger in years with unfavourable oceanic conditions, suggesting that individuals rely on distant information to modulate their use of proximal information and adjust their breeding strategy. PMID:25209940

Seabirds and pinnipeds were surveyed during four cruises from March 1999 to November 2000 at Port Foster, Deception Island, Antarctica. Abundances and distributions of three species of pinnipeds, Arctocephalus gazella (Antarctic fur seals), Leptonychotes weddelli (Weddell seals), and Lobodon carcinophagus (crabeater seals), and 11 species of marine birds were documented within Port Foster. A. gazella was the dominant pinniped within Port Foster; its abundance has increased since the 1986/87 austral summer season. A. gazella were concentrated at the entrance to Port Foster. More pinnipeds were observed during the austral summer than during the spring. The most dominant seabird, Pygoscelis antarctica (chinstrap penguin), was concentrated along the rocky cliffs behind the beaches where A. gazella hauled out. Larus dominicanus (kelp gull) and Daption capense (cape petrel) were the most dominant flying seabirds. All other seabird species were more widely distributed around Port Foster than P. antarctica. There was no clear trend in abundances of seabirds over the study period. It is possible that the protected area of Port Foster provides refuge for vagrants of colonies along the outer periphery of the island and as a stopover point for migrating species.

We developed a simple method that uses skulls to estimate the diameter, and hence the mass, of birds' eyes. Allometric analysis demonstrated that, within five orders (parrots, pigeons, petrels, raptors and owls) and across 104 families of flying birds, eye mass is proportional to (body mass)0.68 over a range of body masses (6 g to 11.3 kg). As expected from their habits and visual ecology, raptors and owls have enlarged eyes, with masses 1.4 and 2.2 times greater than average birds of the same weight. Taking existing relationships for flight speed on body mass, we find that resolution increases close to (flight speed)1.333. Consequently, large birds resolve objects at a longer time to contact than small birds. Eye radius and skull size co-vary in strict proportion, suggesting common physiological, aerodynamic and mechanical constraints. Because eye mass scales close to brain mass, metabolic rate and information processing could also be limiting, but the precise factors determining the scaling of eye to body have not been identified.

Long thought never to have been inhabited and to be in a pristine ecological state, Henderson Island (southeast Pacific) is now known to have been colonized and then abandoned by Polynesians. Bones from an archaeological site on the island associated with 14C dates of ≈800 and ≈500 years B.P. include specimens of 12 species of birds, of which 3, a storm-petrel and two pigeons (Nesofregetta fuliginosa, Ducula cf. aurorae or D. pacifica, and Ducula cf. galeata), no longer occur on Henderson, and two others (Puffinus nativitatis and Sula sula) still visit but are not known to breed. The vanished species were presumably exterminated by Polynesians and the biota of Henderson Island can thus no longer be regarded as being in an unaltered state. The prehistoric abandonment of various small, unarable islands by Polynesians may have been due to the depletion of seabirds and pigeons, the only readily available food source. The species of pigeons identified from Henderson are known historically only from distant archipelagos and have never before been found sympatrically. Distributional patterns resulting from man-caused extinctions may give rise to erroneous interpretations of the relationships and evolutionary history of insular organisms. Certain endangered species, such as Ducula galeata, might effectively be preserved by reintroduction to abandoned islands that they occupied before human intervention. Images PMID:16593606

Light pollution and its consequences on ecosystems are increasing worldwide. Knowledge on the threshold levels of light pollution at which significant ecological impacts emerge and the size of dark refuges to maintain natural nocturnal processes is crucial to mitigate its negative consequences. Seabird fledglings are attracted by artificial lights when they leave their nest at night, causing high mortality. We used GPS data-loggers to track the flights of Cory’s shearwater Calonectris diomedea fledglings from nest-burrows to ground, and to evaluate the light pollution levels of overflown areas on Tenerife, Canary Islands, using nocturnal, high-resolution satellite imagery. Birds were grounded at locations closer than 16 km from colonies in their maiden flights, and 50% were rescued within a 3 km radius from the nest-site. Most birds left the nests in the first three hours after sunset. Rescue locations showed radiance values greater than colonies, and flight distance was positively related to light pollution levels. Breeding habitat alteration by light pollution was more severe for inland colonies. We provide scientific-based information to manage dark refuges facilitating that fledglings from inland colonies reach the sea successfully. We also offer methodological approaches useful for other critically threatened petrel species grounded by light pollution. PMID:26035530

This study elucidates the role of pets in recovery processes among adults with serious mental illness. Data derive from interviews with 177 HMO members with serious mental illness (52.2% women, average age 48.8 years) in the Study of Transitions and Recovery Strategies (STARS). Interviews and questionnaires addressed factors affecting recovery processes and included questions about pet ownership. Data were analyzed using a modified grounded theory method to identify the roles pets play in the recovery process. Primary themes indicate pets assist individuals in recovery from serious mental illness by (a) providing empathy and "therapy"; (b) providing connections that can assist in redeveloping social avenues; (c) serving as "family" in the absence of or in addition to human family members; and (d) supporting self-efficacy and strengthening a sense of empowerment. Pets appear to provide more benefits than merely companionship. Participants' reports of pet-related contributions to their well-being provide impetus to conduct more formal research on the mechanisms by which pets contribute to recovery and to develop pet-based interventions. PMID:19839680